We’ve all experienced it or heard of it happening. Someone is having a conversation about wanting a red jacket, and suddenly there seem to be ads for red jackets popping up everywhere.
Manufacturers of electronic devices with microphones may acknowledge that they sell audio data to third parties (advertisers).However, it mostly stores audio data. rear After the user has opted in to this type of data collection (hopefully not by default), they have instructed their device to start receiving audio.
But a marketing company called CMG Local Solutions created a spark. panic As first reported recently, the data collected by the microphones of cell phones, televisions, and other personal electronic devices could be used to hint that people’s private conversations could be accessed. 404 Media on Thursday. The marketing company said it uses these private conversations to target ads.
active listening
CMG active listening Website It begins with a banner promoting the accurate but alarming statement: “It’s true. Your devices are listening to you.”
November 28th blog post The company described its active listening technology as using AI to “detect relevant conversations across smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices.” As such, CMG claimed to know “when and what to tune into.”
The blog also shamelessly highlighted advertisers’ desire to hear every whisper that helps them target their campaigns.
This is not a world where pre-purchase tweets are not analyzed, but consumer whispers become tools for targeting, retargeting and conquering local markets.
The marketing company did not elaborate on the details. how That supports that claim.Ann archived The version on the Active Listening site provided a vague breakdown of how active listening works.
The website previously noted that CMG uploads past customer data to the platform to create “buyer personas.” Next, the company identifies keywords related to the types of people CMG’s customers want to target. CMG also noted that it places a tracking pixel on a customer’s site before entering the listening stage, but that stage “active listening begins, is analyzed by AI, and is performed on smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices. “Detect related conversations through.”
An archived version of this page provides information about the “Encrypted Ever” technology used for AI-based data analysis and retargeting of ads on various platforms, including streaming TV and audio, display ads, paid social media, YouTube, and Google. The generation of the Green Audience List was explained. , Bing search.
That explanation doesn’t seem to be posted on the Active Listening page anymore, but CMG still says people are actively saying things like “a minivan is best for us” or “this air conditioner has it.” It says it could be targeted. [sic] The last leg! ” in conversation.
But they actively listening?
In an emailed statement to Ars Technica, Cox Media Group said its advertising tools “utilize data sets obtained from users through various social media and other applications, package and “Third-party vendor products that are resold to servicers.” The statement continues:
Advertising data based on voice and other data is collected by these platforms and devices based on terms of service provided by the app and accepted by the user, and then sold to third-party companies and anonymously provided to advertisers. may be converted into digital information. This anonymized data is resold by numerous advertising companies.
The company added: “We do not listen to or access any conversations other than third-party aggregated, anonymized and fully encrypted data sets that can be used to advertise.”[s] Any confusion. ”
But before Cox Media Group issued its statement, CMG’s claims to collect data on “real-time casual conversations” were questionable, as stated in its blog. CMG describes how devices acquire the computing and networking power necessary to record and transmit in “real time” all conversations spoken within range of the device, without the knowledge of the device owner. There was no explanation as to whether it would be possible to obtain the same. The company also never explained how it obtained the kind of access that would require a law enforcement warrant. This is despite the fact that CMG’s blog claims that with active listening, advertisers can tell, for example, “if someone in your area is worried about mold in their closet.” It is.
CMG’s November blog post pointed to anonymous technology partners that can “aggregate and analyze voice data during pre-purchase conversations” and “increased ability to access on-device microphone data.”