A leaked slideshow from a Big Tech-tied digital marketing company delved into “The power of voice (and our devices’ microphones).”
Straining the notion of mere coincidence, many have recounted experiences of talking about a show, product, or any number of things only to be confronted by a related ad shortly thereafter online. Now, according to a report from 404 Media, it appears eavesdropping smart devices weren’t merely the stuff of suspicion, and Google, Facebook, and Amazon had a connection.
Sharing slides from a presentation discussing “Predictive Audience Technology” from Cox Media Group, the outlet detailed how CMG marketed the coupling of AI with Active Listening software to direct their efforts toward consumers “ready-to-buy.”
“Smart devices capture real-time intent data by listening to our conversations,” read one of the slides that then indicated, “Advertisers can pair this voice data with behavioral data to target in-market consumers.”
“We use AI to collect this data from 470+ sources to improve campaign deployment, targeting, and performance,” the slide promoted with the selling point, “You reach your potential customers before your competitors.”
Another slide broke down how the data aimed to define an audience within a 10-mile radius and how, after launch, it “automatically analyzes your site traffic and customers to fuel audience targeting on an ongoing basis.” The marketing agency with clients that included Amazon, Facebook, and Google said, “Processing voice data with behavioral data identifies an audience who is ‘ready-to-buy'”
With each of the Big Tech companies already facing heavy scrutiny over concerns about censorship and suppression, the Daily Mail went on to report that, “Since the story broke, Google removed the media group from their ‘Partners Program’ website.”
For their part, Facebook’s parent company Meta admitted CMG was being reviewed for potential terms of service violations while their privacy center stipulated, “We understand that sometimes ads can be so specific, it seems like we must be listening to your conversations through your microphone, but we’re not.”
Additionally, Amazon contended to 404 Media that its advertising “has never worked with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so.”
The spokesperson for the behemoth online retailer also noted that it would take action if it learned that a marketing partner was in violation of its rules.
Meanwhile, CMG went ahead and deleted a blog post from Nov. 2023, shortly before 404 Media had initially covered their Active Listening. An archive of the post read, “We know what you’re thinking. Is this even legal? It is legal for phones and devices to listen to you. When a new app download or update prompts consumers with a multi-page term of use agreement somewhere in the fine print, Active Listening is often included.”
That same article began, “Imagine a world where you can read minds. One where you know the second someone in your area is concerned about mold in their closet, where you have access to a list of leads who are unhappy with their current contractor, or know who is struggling to pick the perfect fine dining restaurant to propose to their discerning future fiancé. This is a world where no pre-purchase murmurs go unanalyzed, and the whispers of consumers become a tool for you to target, retarget, and conquer your local market.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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