Do our mobile phones secretly listening to us?
When adverts pop up on apps, seemingly tailored to you, it can appear like your phone is listening to you. Tech giants, like Facebook and Google, have been accused of eavesdropping, with some investigations claiming that specific ads appear related to conversations users have had near their phones. However, a new experiment argues that the idea of phones secretly listening to us is a "myth". An Online investigation looked into whether mobile phones are listening to us.. The investigation came up with a list of topics, which had never been Googled before: business cards, spandex, and vegan food. Then began talking about them in the presence of a phone, ensuring that the microphone was turned on in all of her apps. The report: “Within days the smart phone was inundated with ads related to these keywords.” 4
One advert that was received was offering half price on business cards, then after discussing it with a client over a coffee. Despite being a meat-eater, the phone got an advert about vegan meal plans following a chat about a new cookbook with another client. The online investigation contacted tech companies, such as Facebook, Amazon, and Sony, for comments, but they refused to provide a response. But whether they deny it or not, I am now 100 per cent convinced phones are to us. However, BBC's cyber security reporter Joe Tidy explains why phones that secretly listen to us are a "myth". Wandera, a mobile security company, carried out an investigation to determine whether tech giants are listening to our conversations. They put two phones - one Android, one Apple - into an "audio room" playing 30 minutes of cat and dog foods ad on repeat. Two identical phones were placed in a silent room.
