Now it’s confirmed: Phones listen in on conversations

The long-held suspicion became reality after a marketing firm confirmed that the smartphones come with software to listen to users. The firm, whose clients are Google and Facebook, has admitted that it uses phone's microphone to collect information.

This means, when you spoke to your mom about buying a coffee maker, your phone was also listening. And then it rained ads telling where you can buy it. You let it go, thinking you might have googled it. But this isn't the case. The report, published by 404 Media, stated that it is not just what you search for but also what you speak near the phone that gets you the ads.

According to a report, Cox Media Group, a major player in television and radio news, revealed in a presentation to investors that its Active Listening technology utilises AI to collect real-time data on user intentions by monitoring and analysing conversations, effectively eavesdropping on discussions to gather insights. Furthermore, the company also wrote in the pitch deck that this tech allows advertisers to combine voice data with behavioural data, enabling them to precisely target consumers who are actively considering a purchase, creating a powerful tool for targeted advertising.

According to the report, the company also claimed that this tech helps in collecting the data trail left by the consumers "on their conversations and online behaviour". It notes that the AI-powered software collects and analyses "behavioural and voice data from 470+ sources."

It is the third time in a year that 404 Media has blown the lid off around the shady Active listening software. In December, it exposed the marketing company for promoting invasive technology on its podcast. Not just that, it also shed light on Cox Media Group's secretive Active Listening feature, bringing attention to the potentially unsettling practice of monitoring and exploiting users' conversations for data.