A leaked pitch deck has unveiled the covert strategies of Cox Media Group to eavesdrop on users’ devices. The company aims to utilize this voice data for targeted advertising purposes.
Leaked Cox Media Group Pitch Deck Exposes Plans To Monitor Users’ Devices for Ads
In a recent development, media conglomerate Cox Media Group (CMG) has been presenting potential investors with a lucrative proposal for targeted advertising that involves monitoring users’ communications.
As reported by 404 Media, the leaked pitch deck of the company demonstrates how Cox Media Group promotes the idea of surreptitiously listening to users through their device microphones for advertising purposes.
CMG had previously faced backlash from privacy advocates for touting its ‘active listening’ capabilities in 2023. Despite retracting the blog post highlighting this feature and denying any privacy breaches, it appears that the company has not abandoned its plans to monitor users through device microphones for advertising purposes.
According to additional insights from Gizmodo, CMG has established a dedicated ‘active listening’ program that continuously records users’ conversations through nearby device microphones. This program leverages smart devices to capture real-time intent data by listening to users’ discussions, which is then analyzed using artificial intelligence to identify ‘potential buyers’ based on relevant keywords for specific advertisers.
Utilizing this data, the media group can curate targeted audience lists within specified regions, such as a 10-mile or 20-mile radius, to deliver relevant ads to users.
Google, Amazon Confirm No Affiliation with CMG Regarding ‘Active Listening’
To validate the claims in this pitch deck (accessible here), CMG also boasted longstanding partnerships with tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Meta. However, all three companies have refuted any connections with CMG.
In a statement to 404 Media, Google acknowledged a previous engagement with CMG through its advertising partners program, which was terminated due to CMG’s policy violations.
All advertisers must adhere to applicable laws, regulations, and our Google Ads policies. When we identify ads or advertisers violating these policies, we take appropriate action.
Similarly, Amazon denied CMG’s assertions in a statement to Gizmodo,
Amazon Ads has not collaborated with CMG on this initiative and has no intentions to do so.
Meta did not provide a clear explanation of its involvement with CMG but somewhat distanced itself from the ad targeting program. The company shared the following statement with Gizmodo.
We do not have any comments. However, to clarify, the pitch deck mentions Meta as a general marketing partner, not specifically as a partner ‘in this program.’
CMG is yet to clarify its position regarding this pitch deck and its secretive ‘active listening’ program.
We welcome your thoughts in the comments section.
