Facebook and Google partner bragged about tapping users for ad targeting

Following an information leak, Google began erasing all traces of its collaborations, while Facebook announced an investigation.

According to 404 Media, Cox Media Group (CMG) has presented its advertising clients with a tool that allegedly allows for "listening" to social media users via their microphones, employing AI to determine what ads to target them with.

"Advertisers can pair these voice data with behavioral data to target ads at interested consumers."

During a presentation, CMG provided examples of social media platforms such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon, which allegedly are partners in its "Active Listening" service.

After journalists contacted Google for a comment, the company quickly removed references to CMG from its "Partner Program," while Meta announced it would investigate if its partner violated service terms. An Amazon representative, on the other hand, stated that the company's advertising department "never worked with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so."

This latest leak is just one in a series of reports about CMG's shadowy service. Last December, 404 Media noted that the company boasted about this technology in a podcast. Moreover, the information regarding listening for ad targeting purposes is not new — we often see the tool's results in our own feeds.

CMG charges from $100 per day for targeting individuals within a 15 km radius or more.

CMG did not provide comments in response to inquiries from Gizmodo and Futurism. However, considering that the presentation is archived, it will be hard for the company to deny that it profited from listening in on users. In the U.S., most states adhere to laws that limit the ability to record someone without their explicit consent.