Ever get that creepy feeling your phone’s hearing more than it should? You’re not imagining things. A marketing company has just admitted to using ‘Active Listening’ software to eavesdrop on your conversations, and they’re boldly claiming it’s all legal.
I’m pretty sure you’ve seen it happen—one minute you’re chatting about a new product, and the next, it’s ads popping up in on Facebook, Instagram, or Google. Do you ever wonder, How does that happen so quickly?
You might have chalked it up to coincidence, but there’s more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye.
According to a recent report by 404 Media, a marketing agency has admitted to using ‘Active Listening’ software that taps into your smartphone’s microphone, capturing your conversations to serve you the “right” ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Google.
Yes, you read that right—your phone might be eavesdropping on you to help advertisers know exactly what you’re interested in.
Just for a moment imagine that you’re chatting with a friend about planning a vacation, and the next thing you know, your social media feed is flooded with ads for flights and hotels.
Coincidence? Not quite.
The leaked pitch deck, which has been circulating since December 2023, shows that Cox Media Group (CMG) is at the center of this privacy storm.
The deck reveals that CMG is using AI-powered ‘Active Listening’ software to “capture real-time intent data by listening to our conversations.”
They even posted about it on their blog, but after the backlash hit, they yanked it down.
Still, if you’re curious, you can check out the original post on Archive.Org.
In simple terms, they’re using what you say to decide which ads you should see next.
And they’re not doing it alone—big names like Facebook, Google, and Amazon were listed as their Ad partners.
But who reads those lengthy terms of service, anyway? Apparently, hidden somewhere in that legal jargon is permission for your phone to play Big Brother.
While Microsoft is still deciding whether to make its controversial Windows Recall feature an opt-in experience, the marketing sector seems to be facing its own privacy scandal.
This revelation hasn’t gone unnoticed though.
In response to the leak, Google reportedly removed the media group from its Partners Program, which might be a sign that it’s distancing itself from the agency.
Meta (Facebook’s parent company) is also investigating whether CMG has violated its terms of service by using users’ data without their consent.
Amazon, on the other hand, has been quick to deny any involvement.
The company stated that it has no intention of using the marketing agency’s services and warned that it would take legal action if it discovered that its terms of service had been breached.
The idea of your phone listening in on your private moments is just plain creepy—like some nosy stranger sneaking into your house, rummaging through your stuff, and eavesdropping on your most private conversations.
It’s enough to make anyone feel seriously uneasy.
Even if it’s legal, the ethical question remains: Should companies have this level of access to our personal lives? And more importantly, are we truly giving informed consent when we click “I agree” without a second thought?
With privacy concerns blowing up, it’s more important than ever to stay sharp.
Don’t just breeze through those terms of service—your safety could be on the line.
This ‘Active Listening’ software isn’t just chilling in the background—it’s like a thief, quietly picking up on your convos to tailor the perfect ad that’ll pop up right when you least expect it.
So dear readers, next time you’re chatting to your friends about that shiny new gadget you’ve been eyeing, don’t be shocked when it suddenly takes over your social media feed.
We all know the line between convenience and privacy is getting blurrier by the minute, and this and this kind of news just adds more fuel to the fire.
