Last week, a 404 Media report went viral alleging that smart devices could listen in on conversations. There were claims by a Cox Media Group (CMG) marketing team that they could listen to ambient conversations of consumers through embedded microphones to gather data and target ads. While the news was shocking, it lacks evidence that any violations of privacy actually happened. There are layers of permissions that have to be enabled before eavesdropping conversations can happen. Also, tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple would not allow such eavesdropping as it would lead to severe fines. Overall, the story did not happen, even though 404 Media knew it didn’t.
Is Your Personal Information at Risk? A Closer Look at Surveillance Claims Surrounding Devices.
