Your phone isn't secretly listening to you, but the truth is more disturbing
2025-04-09
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This article delves into the persistent conspiracy theory that smartphones listen to private conversations to target advertisements, a notion often reported to users who receive eerily relevant ads. Despite high-profile alleged exposes, such as Cox Media Group's Active Listening, tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Apple have consistently denied these claims, suggesting rather complex and less direct methods are at play. The article points to a 2019 study by Wandera which debunked the myth of continuous listening by showcasing no detectable changes in data or battery use in phones subjected to controlled sound environments, revealing a more nuanced approach to targeted advertising involving collected behavioral data.
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