Leaked documents reveal eavesdropping on Facebook users
Leaked documents reveal eavesdropping on Facebook users
2024-09-03 02:51
Shafaq News/ Leaked documents revealed details of the use of advanced technologies by one of Facebook’s marketing partners to eavesdrop on users through the microphones of their phones and smart TVs in their homes, to target them with advertisements.
Cox Media Group, one of the largest TV and radio media companies, uses AI-powered “Active Listening” software, which captures users’ intent data in real time by listening to their conversations, according to 40media.
The company combines this data with user behaviors across various apps and digital platforms, enabling advertisers to target consumers more accurately.
In a presentation to potential clients, CMG boasted that Facebook, Google and Amazon all use Active Listening.
But after 404media contacted Google about the partnership, the latter removed CMG from its list of advertising partners, prompting Meta to also review its dealings with the media company to ensure it did not violate its policies.
For its part, Amazon denied any cooperation with CMG in this program, stressing that it has never worked with the company in this field, and that it will take the necessary measures if it is found that one of its marketing partners violated the rules.
The leaks are the latest in a series of reports published by 404media over the past year that have highlighted CMG’s ad targeting services based on audio data collected without users’ permission.
Last December, the same site revealed similar details about “active listening” technologies, which increased suspicions about companies exploiting smartphones to listen to users’ conversations.
In a blog post published in November 2023 that was later deleted, Cox Media Group stated that listening to conversations through smart devices is legal, noting that the lengthy terms of use that users agree to when downloading or updating apps sometimes include consent to exposure to this type of technology.
CMG offers active listening services for a fee of up to $100 per day to target people within a 10-mile radius, and $200 per day to target people within a 20-mile radius.
Although the company did not disclose how it obtains the voice data, it confirmed its ability to identify “buy-ready” users and create targeted ad lists based on their interests.
shafaq.com
