New evidence claims Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon could be listening to you on your devices

Companies want to know what potential customers are searching for online. Using that information, they can target each internet user with an ad for a product or service that is relevant to what they're looking for. But people don't always perform an online search for everything they want or need to buy. What if those companies could listen in to potential customers' everyday lives and hyper-target them with advertising based on what they're talking about? The marketers at media giant Cox Media Group (CMG) pitched this idea to potential advertising partners, according to a report from 404 Media. The tech news outlet recently obtained a November 2023 pitch deck from CMG that detailed its "Active Listening" service and how it can target advertising based on smart devices like smartphones, smart speakers, and smart TVs. "What would it mean for your business if you could target potential clients who are actively discussing their need for your services in their day-to-day conversations?" reads the beginning of the CMG sales pitch. "No, it's not a Black Mirror episode - it's Voice Data, and CMG has the capabilities to use it to your business advantage." The pitch deck goes on to mention how it's legal for companies to listen in on users and collect that data. "Creepy? Sure. Great for marketing? Definitely," the CMG sales pitch says. Last year, 404 Media reported on CMG's promotion of Active Listening, the use of microphones in smart devices to listen in to users for the purpose of targeted advertising. The outlet just obtained the pitch deck last week. Internet users have long speculated that Big Tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook-owner Meta were eavesdropping on them. And now, we have evidence of CMG's marketing team promoting this type of service to advertisers. As 404 Media points out, CMG has maintained current or former partnerships with all four of those Big Tech companies. So, what's going on here? Big Tech responds to CMG's Active Listening