If you’re among the millions of smartphone users—and that likely includes nearly everyone reading this—you might have experienced a rather unsettling phenomenon: You engage in a casual conversation about a seemingly random topic, and soon after, relevant advertisements start to appear on your screen. It raises the question: How are these ads so attuned to your discussions?
The answer might lie within your device. Most smartphones are equipped with activated microphones to allow virtual assistants to respond to voice commands. This begs the question: Could these devices be covertly listening to your conversations to tailor ads specifically for you? Here’s a comprehensive look at this issue, along with a straightforward test you can perform to uncover the truth.
How to Verify if Your Phone is Listening
To determine whether your phone is picking up on your conversations, start by discussing a distinctive subject that you haven’t researched or talked about before, ensuring your phone is nearby. Choose something that doesn’t align with your usual interests or online searches.
For the next couple of days, continue vocalizing this topic while your phone remains within earshot. Importantly, refrain from searching for any information about this topic on any of your devices, not just your smartphone.
You might also delve into specific aspects related to your chosen subject. For instance, if your discussions revolve around a trip to Spain, you could also mention the nuances of learning Spanish or recommend the top spot for paella in Madrid.
During this observational period, stay alert for any ads that pop up online—whether on social media, websites, apps, or even on your smart television, if applicable. If you start encountering ads related to the topic you’ve been openly discussing, it’s a strong indication that your phone has indeed been eavesdropping.
Steps to Take If You Suspect Eavesdropping
Before you resort to covering your phone’s microphone or tossing it away, consider a few less extreme measures to potentially mitigate eavesdropping.
First, inspect the permissions granted to applications on your device. You may have unknowingly allowed an app access to your microphone. Review the permissions for each application and restrict those that don’t require access to your microphone, camera, or location.
Within your device’s settings, you can deactivate Google Assistant on Android or Siri on iOS to prevent them from listening in.
Sam Singleton
Additionally, consider clearing your voice history and disabling the digital assistant feature on your phone. While handy, tools like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa may be actively recording your every word without your explicit knowledge.
Recently, a report by 404 Media revealed that Cox Media Group (CMG), a third-party company, was collaborating with tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft on “Active Listening” technology.
While these companies have since asserted that they do not utilize this technology to spy on users, it raises concerns about the potential for such capabilities and the lengths companies might go to improve their advertising strategies.
Lastly, although large corporations are often the primary suspects for eavesdropping, hackers could exploit vulnerabilities in your device, gaining access to the microphone or camera. Stay safe by maintaining up-to-date software for your phone’s operating system and all installed applications.
By taking these preventative measures, you can limit unauthorized access to your phone’s microphone. However, if you remain uncertain, the simplest approach to ensure your privacy is to power off your device or leave it behind when discussing sensitive topics.
If Your Phone Isn’t Listening, How is it Gathering Data?
While the idea of your phone quietly monitoring your conversations can be alarming, there are numerous ways you may inadvertently share information without speaking a word.
Smartphones serve as treasure troves of personal data that apps can access. Packed with a variety of sensors—such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers—they can gather extensive information about your habits and preferences.
Your phone tracks your movements, social interactions, lifestyle choices, and even health-related data. All of this telemetry and metadata can be harvested by your device. Not to mention the substantial amount of information you have already shared with apps and through Google searches over time.
This collected information is sent to third parties like data brokers to be analyzed and sold, leading to the personalized ads you see so frequently.
Thus, even if you haven’t voiced or searched for details about your trip to Spain, your phone might connect the dots based on the data it has accumulated. Perhaps friends were nearby searching for Spanish accommodations, or you recently started learning Spanish on an app, or your shopping history shows an increase in purchasing ingredients commonly used in Spanish cuisine.
Any of this information could explain why the ads you encounter are so relevant. So while it’s certainly possible your phone is listening in, you may actually be revealing information through other means that lead to targeted advertising.
