Facebook Partner Reveals Users are Being Monitored by Smartphone Mics

For Zuckerberg's next trick, Meta will try to read your mind

Have you ever been presented with an ad on your smartphone after talking about a similar topic with a friend, co-worker or family member?  Such ads are not mere coincidences.  A partner of Facebook recently revealed it uses smartphone microphones to tailor ads to specific individuals.   

The logic in such intrusive surveillance is that doing so supposedly helps businesses serve highly relevant and targeted ads.  However, civil libertarians like Rand Paul and Thomas Massie question whether the practice should be legal.

Targeted Advertising Using Computer Microphones is an Invasion of Privacy

Chances are you’ve never scrolled through your phone’s seemingly endless number of settings to see if the microphone is on.  Moreover, specific apps have a default setting in which the smartphone microphone is turned on to collect data.  Few people invest the time and effort necessary to check the settings of each individual app.