Technology

59099 readers

3104 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

495

Google & Facebook partner admits it can listen to device microphone to serve ads - Dexerto (www.dexerto.com)

submitted 2 months ago by Stopthatgirl7@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

81 comments fedilink hide all child comments

A media firm that has worked with the likes of Google and Meta has admitted that it can target adverts based on what you said out loud near device microphones.

Media conglomerate Cox Media Group (CMG) has been pitching tech companies on a new targeted advertising tool that uses audio recordings collected from smart home devices, according to a 404 Media investigation. The company is partners with Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Bing.

In a pitch deck presented to Google, Facebook, and others in November 2023, CMG referred to the technology used for monitoring and active listening as “Voice Data.” The firm also mentioned using artificial intelligence to collect data about consumers’ online behavior.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The problem is that when you accept the terms of service for smart devices and applications with voice interfaces, you give consent to be recorded.

[–] Saik0Shinigami@lemmy.saik0.com 2 points 2 months ago

Others around you don't. That consent isn't transferable. Nor does it grant wholesale recording even if the owner isn't expecting it, eg if google present "we need to record in order to do voice to text operations", then other shit gets used, that's a problem. And lastly, it doesn't transfer to other applications. If I consent to be recorded by "Google" that doesn't grant other ad partners access without explicitly stating so. EULA/TOS isn't law. Terms and conditions get abused all the time. Law often strikes them down when those terms make it to court.