Ever felt like your smartphone or some other similar smart device could be eavesdropping on you because something you talked about privately suddenly got shoved to your face as an ad? This does not look like a coincidence after all as a leaked sales pitch deck from a large advertising media firm seems to confirm such suspicions.
404 Media obtained the supposed deck belonging to Cox Media Group (CMG), the digital marketing service that has partnered with the likes of Google, Facebook's Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon.
According to the sales pitch document (published November 2023) CMG presented to the above big tech giants, the technology used to monitor and actively listen is called "Voice Data" and CMG openly claims "Yes, Our Phones are Listening to US" in a section explaining how businesses can use that data to efficiently target ads. It reads:
In most moments of the day, there's a smart device in within two-inch radius of us.
That means a smart device is likely within earshot when we talk about our plans for the weekend, how badly we need our kitchen remodeled, or which SUV model is best for the family with our spouse, and so much more.
When small businesses know who needs them, they can target ads with enhanced accuracy, waste less money, and grow their audience.
Down below, there is yet another section that doubles down on that same idea and outright brags about the notion with no apparent concern for consumers' consent and privacy:
Don't Just Know What They're Searching For- Know What They're Talking About
It may seem like black magic, but it's not-it's AI. The growing ability to access microphone data on devices like smartphones and tablets enables our technology partner to aggregate and analyze voice data during pre-purchase conversations.
The result? Unprecented understanding of consumer behaviour, so we can deliver personalized ads that make your target audience think: wow, they must be a mind reader.
Cox Media Group, in its deck, also suggests that it is perfectly legal to be snooping in as smart devices and assistants alike technically have to always listen anyway. Google seemingly cut ties with CMG sometime after this report was aired, 404 Media adds.
You can find the archived version of the pitch deck here.
Source: 404 Media
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