Companies want to know what potential customers are searching for online. With that information, they can target each internet user with an ad for a product or service that is relevant to what they are searching for.

But people don’t always search online for everything they want or need to buy. What if those companies could listen in on the daily lives of potential customers and hypertarget them with ads based on what they want? to talk about?

According to a report by US media giant Cox Media Group (CMG), the marketers of media giant Cox Media Group (CMG) presented this idea to potential advertising partners. 404 MediaThe technology news company recently received a November 2023 pitch deck from CMG that described its “Active Listening” service and how it can target ads based on smart devices like smartphones, smart speakers and smart TVs.

“What would it mean for your business if you could target potential customers who actively discuss their need for your services in their everyday conversations?”, the CMG sales pitch“No, it’s not Black mirror delivery – it’s voice data and CMG has the capabilities to use it to your business advantage.”

The pitch goes on to state that it is legal for companies to eavesdrop on users and collect that data.

“Creepy? Sure. Great for marketing? Absolutely,” says the CMG sales pitch.

Last year, 404 Media reported about the promotion of CMG Active listeningthe use of microphones in smart devices to listen in on users for targeted advertising. The outlet only obtained the pitch deck last week.

Internet users have long speculated that Big Tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook-owned Meta are eavesdropping on them. And now we have evidence that CMG’s marketing team is promoting such services to advertisers. As 404 Media reports, CMG has current or former partnerships with all four of those Big Tech companies.

What’s going on here?

Big Tech Responds to CMG’s Active Listening Strategy

Mashable reached out to all four of the Big Tech companies named in 404 Media’s report on CMG’s Active Listening pitch deck, and we heard from all of them: Meta, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Each company issued a statement denying that they were working with CMG to target ads in this way.

“Meta does not use your phone’s microphone for advertising and we’ve been open about this for years,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement to Mashable. “We’re reaching out to CMG to make it clear that their program is not based on Meta data.”

Meta told Mashable it was investigating whether CMG may have violated Facebook’s terms of service. The company said it would take action if necessary. A spokesperson also gave Mashable a Message from 2016 that Facebook published about the fact that the company does not use the microphones of users’ phones for advertising purposes.

Amazon, Google and Microsoft also oppose any involvement in CMG’s Active Listening.

“Amazon Ads has never partnered with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so,” an Amazon spokesperson told Mashable.

“All advertisers must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, as well as our Google Ads policies. When we identify ads or advertisers that violate these policies, we will take appropriate action,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to Mashable.

“We are investigating this and will take any appropriate action in accordance with our policies,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.

While all of the companies that responded denied participating in the advertising program, consumers will undoubtedly continue to have concerns about their privacy when it comes to smart home devices.