Newsroom
A major advertising company, Cox Media Group (CMG), has reportedly been using "active-listening" technology to create targeted ads based on users' conversations, according to a leaked report. The confidential document, shared with 404media, details how CMG uses artificial intelligence to gather real-time data from users' conversations near their mobile phones, computers, and digital home assistants.
The report describes how CMG's software listens to users and combines this voice data with behavioral information to create precise consumer profiles. The company then uses these profiles to target ads more effectively. CMG's clients include major tech giants like Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Bing. The revelation is significant enough that Google removed CMG from its affiliate program after being questioned by 404media.
CMG has not disclosed the specifics of how its listening technology operates or which devices it targets. However, the company boasts about its top-tier partnerships with Google, Facebook, and Amazon. It charges clients $100 per day to track consumers within a 15-kilometer radius and $200 for a 30-kilometer radius.
The company's six-step process involves collecting data, analyzing it, and selling it to advertisers. The details of whether the technology constantly monitors or activates only during specific times remain unclear. In response to the leak, Google stated that all advertisers must follow legal and policy guidelines, while Meta (Facebook's parent company) is investigating CMG for potential violations of its terms of service.
For consumers, this means that ads they see online might be influenced by what they’ve talked about, even if they never searched for those products. The revelation raises concerns about privacy and how personal data is used for advertising. Google has stated that all advertisers must follow its rules, while Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is investigating whether CMG has violated its policies.
