An ad company created a heck of a stir when it claimed to use AI active listening technology to listen in on consumers using smartphones, TVs, smart speakers, and other devices.
The marketing company claimed it could get data on “casual conversations in real-time” and claimed it partnered with major tech companies like Amazon, Google, & Facebook.
Those tech companies were quick to say that their devices only listen to you when ask them to. The company later backtracked somewhat and said that the only data it used was data the users had expressly given tech companies permission to use.
So are Google, Facebook, and Amazon listening to you? Anecdotal information from users sure makes it seem that way. And if you have a smartphone, companies do know a lot about your activities. If you watch a commercial on your smart TV and then look for a product online or go with your phone in hand to visit a store, they know. And they use that information to target you with ads and sometimes pass that information on to advertisers.
For sure they do and much more.