You mention needing new tires. An hour later, tire ads everywhere. Your friend says it’s creepy. Your spouse says you’re paranoid.
Here’s the thing. The truth is worse than either version.
In 2024, 404 Media got their hands on a leaked pitch deck from Cox Media Group. The marketing giant was selling something called “active listening.” The slides said smart devices could “capture real-time intent data by listening to our conversations.” The deck listed Google, Facebook and Amazon as partners.
Google’s response? Kicked Cox off its Partners program. Amazon denied everything. Cox called the materials “outdated.” Sure, Jan.
Researchers at Northeastern University analyzed 17,000 Android apps, looking for secret mic access. Not one app was recording your voice.
What did they find? Apps secretly screenshotting your phone and sending images to third parties. One app recorded video of everything on your screen. Your messages. Your browsing. Your passwords.
👻 The sound you can’t hear
It’s called ultrasonic cross-device tracking. (Stay with me.) Companies embed inaudible sound signals, above 18 kHz, beyond what human ears can pick up, into TV commercials, websites and store speakers. Your phone picks them up silently and links itself to your TV, laptop and tablet. Now advertisers know all those devices belong to you.
Researchers found 234 Android apps quietly listening for these ultrasonic signals without users knowing. The apps didn’t need Wi-Fi. Just microphone access. That permission you granted to a flashlight app three years ago? That’s the open door.
Layer on GPS location data, browsing history, loyalty card purchases and the Facebook Pixel tracking you across millions of websites. It all combines into a profile so precise it feels like someone’s listening.
They don’t need to listen. They already know.
🦗 Crickets anyone
On my site, I have painfully tested and wrote up the steps you need to audit your microphone permissions, kill personalized ads, stop your smart TV from snitching and Alexa, too. Click here for these steps. It was too much to include in the newsletter.
1. Audit microphone permissions. iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Turn it off for every app that doesn’t absolutely need it. Android: Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager > Microphone. Same drill. If a calculator app has mic access, that’s a red flag the size of Texas.
2. Kill personalized ads. iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising, toggle off Personalized Ads. Android: Settings > Privacy > Ads > Delete advertising ID. This doesn’t stop all ads. It stops the ones that know you googled “knee pain” at 2 a.m.
3. Shut up your smart TV. Samsung: Settings > Support > Terms & Policies, turn off Viewing Information Services. LG: Settings > General > Privacy & Terms, uncheck Personalized Advertising. Your TV has been snitching. Time to cut it off.
4. Stop voice assistants from saving you. Alexa app > More > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data. Delete history and limit storage. Google: myaccount.google.com > Data & Privacy, uncheck Voice and audio activity. Every “Hey, Alexa” you’ve ever said? Stored. Until you say otherwise.
I guess you could say advertisers have really been playing it by ear. Tough crowd.
🗣️ TEXT/POST THIS STAT: Researchers found 234 apps secretly using sounds you can’t hear to link your devices together for ad targeting. Your phone doesn’t need to record you. It already knows. → GetKim.com
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