Source URL: https://futurism.com/the-byte/facebook-partner-phones-listening-microphone
Source: Hacker News
Title: Facebook partner brags about listening to your phone’s microphone
Feedly Summary: Comments
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text sheds light on the controversial practices of Cox Media Group, which allegedly utilizes AI-driven “Active Listening” technology to capture users’ conversations via smartphone microphones for targeted advertising. This situation raises significant legal and ethical concerns surrounding privacy and user consent, especially in the context of technology giants like Facebook, Google, and Amazon.
Detailed Description:
The text outlines serious privacy implications stemming from the use of AI to listen to consumers’ conversations for marketing purposes. It revolves around the following key points:
– **Introduction of ‘Active Listening’:** Cox Media Group (CMG) claims to use AI-based technology that captures real-time intent data from smartphone microphones to create targeted advertising strategies.
– **Documented Leaks:** Reports from 404 Media reveal that CMG’s marketing pitch included partnerships with major companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon, suggesting a network of complicity in these practices.
– **Legal and Ethical Concerns:** The legality of such technology is questioned, with CMG suggesting that users agree to such practices through lengthy terms of service agreements encountered during app installations or updates.
– **Response from Tech Giants:** Following inquiries about their connection with CMG, both Google and Amazon have distanced themselves from the controversial Active Listening disclosures, with Google removing CMG from its Partners Program.
– **Financial Model:** CMG reportedly charges advertisers $100 to target users within a 10-mile radius using this intrusive technology, raising questions about the commodification of personal data.
– **Historical Context:** This is not the first instance of CMG’s alleged misuse of voice data for marketing; the report indicates ongoing scrutiny and previous disclosures about their practices.
Implications for Security and Compliance Professionals:
– **Privacy Violations:** The use of technology to eavesdrop on personal conversations without informed consent points to potential violations of privacy laws and regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, emphasizing the need for enhanced compliance measures.
– **Vendor Due Diligence:** Organizations engaging with marketing and analytics vendors should rigorously evaluate their data collection methods and ensure robust privacy protections are in place.
– **Transparency and Accountability:** Stronger consumer rights and transparency in data usage and collection processes are critical to maintaining trust and legal compliance.
Overall, the text highlights the intersecting domains of AI, privacy, and regulatory compliance, urging professionals to consider the far-reaching implications of such intrusive technologies within their own organizations and the broader industry landscape.