Smartphone can listen to us to target advertising – Report

Most of the time, they are customised based on users’ online activity, which is directly related to their interests and, unless they have granted consent, is based on their web activity. Still, some individuals are concerned about potential spying by their smartphones. While there hasn’t been any hard proof up until now that our smartphones can listen to us and enhance the relevancy of advertisements, it has come to light today that a marketing firm is pushing software that records our chats in order to provide us with relevant advertisements.
404 Media‘s review of CMG marketing materials and information from a pitch to an outside marketing professional reveal that Cox Media Group (CMG), a massive media company, claims to have the ability to listen to ambient conversations of consumers through embedded microphones in smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices in order to gather data and target ads. CMG refers to this feature as “active listening,” and it states that it can recognize possible clients “based on casual conversations in real time.” The report suggests that, under certain circumstances, the widespread belief held by the public for years that cellphones listen to users in order to send advertisements may eventually come to pass.
There was no proof up until this point that such a capability existed. Although the company describes it as “a marketing technique fit for the future,” it is unclear right now whether the capacity CMG is promoting and claiming works on devices on the market today. obtainable right now. A firm representative was also located by 404 Media on LinkedIn, clearly requesting that interested people get in touch with them regarding the product. A marketing expert who was pitched by CMG on the tech indicated that they were given an explanation of the service’s costs by a CMG representative.
CMG lists Amazon, Microsoft, and Google as partners; 404 Media contacted each of them to gather more information on the situation. Amazon and Google have denied it, but Microsoft has not yet reacted.