A media firm has admitted that it can target adverts based on what you said out loud near device microphones.

A media firm that has worked with the likes of Google and Meta has admitted that it can target adverts based on what you said out loud near device microphones.

Media conglomerate Cox Media Group (CMG) has been pitching tech companies on a new targeted advertising tool that uses audio recordings collected from smart home devices, according to a 404 Media investigation. The company is partners with Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Bing.

In a pitch deck presented to Google, Facebook, and others in November 2023, CMG referred to the technology used for monitoring and active listening as “Voice Data.” The firm also mentioned using artificial intelligence to collect data about consumers’ online behavior.

  • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    122·
    14 days ago

    I’d pay if they actually offered a better service. But they don’t, so I use alternatives that do:

    • Grayjay - sub to more than just YouTube, downloading works as expected, etc
    • Nebula - smaller selection of content, but downloading works as expected

    Both of those offer a better experience than YouTube premium (in terms of app features). If YouTube offered a higher quality experience, I’d be more interested in paying for it.

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    I bailed on Netflix and Disney+, but I refuse to torrent, so I rip DVDs and Blurays to my Jellyfin instance.