A media firm has admitted that it can target adverts based on what you said out loud near device microphones.

A media firm that has worked with the likes of Google and Meta has admitted that it can target adverts based on what you said out loud near device microphones.

Media conglomerate Cox Media Group (CMG) has been pitching tech companies on a new targeted advertising tool that uses audio recordings collected from smart home devices, according to a 404 Media investigation. The company is partners with Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Bing.

In a pitch deck presented to Google, Facebook, and others in November 2023, CMG referred to the technology used for monitoring and active listening as “Voice Data.” The firm also mentioned using artificial intelligence to collect data about consumers’ online behavior.

  • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
    411·
    4 months ago

    Well look, not to be dismissive of what you’re saying, but the technical aspects of it really don’t matter. There is not (yet) any law in the US that would protect people from such surveillance, regardless of its current technical infeasibility. The point of getting people at large worried or upset about this is to get law established before it becomes a widespread problem, not after some company publicly admits to doing something despicable.

    The fact that companies are thinking about this, trying to accomplish it, trying to buy this functionality from other companies… that should be enough to scare people and get them angry. It’s certainly enough that we should all be talking about it, and publicly shaming them for the voyeuristic creeps that they are.

    There should be riots in the streets over stuff like this, because you can’t build a surveillance state without surveillance technology.

    • SaltySalamander@fedia.io
      71·
      4 months ago

      You should probably remove the tinfoil hat. Seems to be cutting off the circulation to your 3 brain cells.

      • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
        21·
        4 months ago

        If Cox is advertising this as a product, it’s because they have a market that will buy it.

    • Saik0AEnglish
      21·
      4 months ago

      There is not (yet) any law in the US that would protect people from such surveillance, regardless of its current technical infeasibility.

      Wiretapping laws exist. There is no state in the US that allows for wholesale recording someone without consent. Even one party consent states still require ONE party to consent. Recordings taking in a private place without consent would fail to meet even that limited scope.

      • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
        11·
        4 months ago

        The problem is that when you accept the terms of service for smart devices and applications with voice interfaces, you give consent to be recorded.

        • Saik0AEnglish
          31·
          4 months ago

          Others around you don’t. That consent isn’t transferable. Nor does it grant wholesale recording even if the owner isn’t expecting it, eg if google present “we need to record in order to do voice to text operations”, then other shit gets used, that’s a problem. And lastly, it doesn’t transfer to other applications. If I consent to be recorded by “Google” that doesn’t grant other ad partners access without explicitly stating so. EULA/TOS isn’t law. Terms and conditions get abused all the time. Law often strikes them down when those terms make it to court.