Have you ever pondered how, after having a conversation with someone, you suddenly receive an ad for the very same thing? Well, here’s the answer you’ve been seeking.
Your phone does listen to you. But why? What purpose does it serve? In brief, your phone and carrier utilize voice data, which is channeled through voice assistant apps like Siri and Google Assistant…as well as personalized advertisements. Yes, you heard that right, they are listening for marketing purposes, you weren’t just imagining it!
This listening process is closely tied to marketing. Similar to how search engines track your browsing and search history to display relevant online ads, your voice data fulfills a similar role. It allows advertisers to target you with advertisements tailored to your specific interests, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of their clients’ advertising investments.
Is my phone constantly listening?
This leads to the logical question: Does my phone perpetually listen to me within legal bounds? Technically, yes, your smartphone is always capable of listening. However, the reality is more nuanced.
Voice-activated devices continuously monitor for “wake words,” the voice commands that activate their virtual assistant services. These phrases range from “Hey Siri” and “OK, Google” to simply “Alexa” (which can be frustrating for individuals whose names begin with those five letters).
Nonetheless, this does not imply that your phone disregards everything else you say. Smart devices employ various data types to construct user profiles and customize ads accordingly.
While this practice is generally not malicious (depending on one’s stance on data collection as a whole), it is understandable to have concerns about privacy.
In 2019, Apple faced criticism when it came to light that contractors inadvertently had access to more information than intended. Oops! Such revelations have understandably heightened concerns among iPhone users. Although Apple claims to have implemented measures to prevent the accidental collection of sensitive data, the underlying technology remains prevalent across modern mobile devices.
Is it legal for my phone to listen to me?
Not only does your phone listen to you, but it is also entirely legal for phone manufacturers to do so. You might wonder, “But I didn’t give my consent!” Unfortunately, you likely did.
Whenever you accept terms and conditions for software upgrades or app downloads, you provide consent. This is how smartphone manufacturers and app developers collect your data, including audio, browsing history, and other web activities. Is this practice ‘okay’? Well, we’ll leave that up to you to decide.
Just because your device can legally listen to you doesn’t mean it can’t do so illegally. Like any other internet-connected device, your smartphone can be infected with spyware or malware that tracks your activities. Scared yet?