Is Your Phone's Mic Listening To You? Bombshell Privacy Report Exposes Creepy Ad Tracking Tech

For years the internet has been filled with stories about users that think someone is listening in on them, as ads appear to be eerily similar to things being discussed near thier devices. It’s an uncomfortable thought to suspect devices people rely on for modern life are just spies for companies looking to sell more products. However, more evidence is piling up that people’s sneaking suspicions are true, thanks to some recent reporting by 404 Media.

404 Media managed to get its hands on a sales deck used by Cox Media Group (CMG) that extolls the virtues of “active listening” as a way for companies to track potential customers. One of the first big headines included in the deck says that “Yes, Our Phones Are Listening to Us.” Although CMG is at least cognizant of the fact that it’s disturbing territory, as one picture is captioned with “Creepy? Sure. Great for marketing? Definitely.”


One question that CMG acknowldges is the legality of spying on consumers. To that end, the company assuaged any concerns by claming that, “when you purchase a new device and agree to the terms and conditions, you consent to your phone listening to you when it is turned on.”

As the technology industry continues to push forward into an era where users are expected to user their voice to interact with AI built into software and devices, this is a concerning development. People still expect at least a sliver of privacy when their devices are sitting idle. These concerns could potentially hinder voice-driven AI before it really takes hold if users opt to disable their microphones over privacy concerns.

Time will tell what the fallout will be. CMG will most likely get cut off from data provided by some of its partners such as Amazon, Google and Meta. However, CMG probably isn’t the only one providing these kinds of services.