Phone eavesdropping: How marketing partners listen in

Many of you have likely heard or even participated in discussions regarding the alleged eavesdropping by phones for marketing purposes. One of Facebook's marketing partners has openly admitted to eavesdropping on users' conversations.

You mention buying wireless headphones, and then you start seeing adverts for such products online. If a similar situation has happened to you, it shouldn't come as a surprise. As reported on MSPowerUser.com, "active listening" technologies are in use, and we often consent to their use without much thought.

Information about "active listening" comes from a leak from Cox Media Group, a marketing partner of brands like Facebook. It has been revealed that AI listens to phone conversations and analyses them. It processes voice data so that, combined with behavioural data, it can identify a group of people who are "ready to buy."

This data is collected and matched to services and products that should interest users, for example, within a certain distance from a venue. In this way, digital advertising can be targeted and website traffic can be analysed.

MSPowerUser emphasises that CMG has been excluded from Google's partner programme. This all stems from the fact that the legality of practices such as eavesdropping on users is questionable, although, in practice, we agree to it.

The clause about consent to eavesdropping is often found in user licences. MSPowerUser claims that in 2003, a post appeared on the Cox Media Group blog stating that the whole practice is legal. "Is this legal at all? The short answer is: yes. Phones and other devices can legally listen to you."

"When a new application displays a multi-page agreement on terms of use during downloading or updating, active listening is often included somewhere in the fine print." Such a clause was purportedly found in the mentioned post. It appears that we are powerless against such practices unless we give up on a particular application.