Is Your Phone Listening to You? | NOVA | PBS

[@Surdalegacy]

I heard it said, "If the service is free, you are the product"

[@timan2039]

Access is just that, access to the internet. The WWW is part of the internet, one that’s commercial and everything seeks to turn a profit.

[@nsharma701]

​@@timan2039 the WWW runs on the Internet, technically. the network or inter-network of computers and servers communicating to each other-that's the Internet. For example, my home PC and laptop "talking" to Verizon or AT&T servers. That's a slice of the Internet.

[@TheTrueOnyxRose]

Capitalism

[@hamp7803]

I know for a fact that FB uses my phone and listen to what I say. I often be silly towards my wife, and I have joked to her verbally ONLY, saying " Can I suckle? " and now on FB, BREASTFEEDING clips show up. It took about 3-4 clips before I realized my joke of suckle turned into my phone heard what I said. AND 'NO', I NEVER LOOKED UP BREAST FEEDING OR suckle.

[@SanderEvers]

The issue with that statement is, that the reverse isn't true. If you pay for something, you still usually are the product. Becuase there is always someone paying more.

[@Pooks8]

I often get ads and recommendations on things I only discussed with someone, but I’ve never shopped or searched for. So yes, I believe our devices are listening to us, it’s not always an algorithm.

[@phillipdavis3316]

I say BS. I have had other people bring up topics that I have not thought about that we then discussed. Then, when I get home there are ads and YT videos regarding that subject.

[@djp1234]

Yes, it's listening. Sometimes my coworkers talk next to me about subjects I'm not interested in, and next thing I know, I'm seeing ads for those things.

[@jpd9415]

😮

[@slowanddeliberate6893]

​@@aircreedYou automatically consent to Google eavesdropping when you create an account or even use Android without an account.

[@Dana_inc]

Evil people!

[@davidletarte214]

this has happened with my friends & i also so, although i'm sure the algorithm does do some predicting, there are situations where listening is the only thing that makes sense.

[@grizzle]

I've heard that because phones are pinging towers constantly, when you are in proximity to other people for extended periods of time, they associate their data and preferences with yours... Like you're probably friends so you probably like similar things

[@youngKarl007]

No, random conversation with a friend about a not popular foreign film, next 20 minutes that exact film appears in my youtube feed on my phone. They are listening!

[@ecstatictobehere6497]

Absolutely...these goofballs are paid to say this...

[@davidbrown4271]

Phones are listening 100%

[@zaizoesclashing7103]

One time I was playing online games and somebody had faked their own death and we were talking about it in a group chat, and to my family. Later that day in my Google News feed was the headline why people sometimes fake their own death LOL😂 Definitely listening lots and happens often

[@Rompastompa71]

Exactly!!!!

[@philipfrancis2728]

Had a convo with a friend on our back porch about breathing exercises to improve cardiovascular health. Phones in pockets. 5 minutes later, KZbin algorithm suggests videos on…breathing exercises to improve cardiovascular health. And this happens literally every day. The “horse” is definitely leading the “cart,” but I’m not driving. I leave my phone at home now, like I did for the first 40 years of my life.

[@jcortese3300]

I love how the video says that listening is against the law. Like that ever stopped multi-billion dollar corporations before. Besides, they can do it as long as they don't get caught, and how do you prove it?

[@amicaaranearum]

If your phone is not listening, how does it hear its wake-up word?

[@babybirdhome]

You examine the network traffic - the same way your ISP does when you’re not using a VPN, and the same way your VPN provider does when you are using a VPN.

[@jcortese3300]

@@babybirdhome You might initially pay someone to try to do that, and then the multibillion dollar corporation simply draws out the legal proceedings to the point where they exhaust the resources of the plaintiff.

[@mrandersen]

Easy to prove

[@SWExplore]

Yes, our phones are listening to us.

[@CensorCipher]

I’m 100% positive my phone was listening to me. I had a phone call about a very specific product at work - one that I’d never used or searched before - and within hours I started getting ads for it for weeks. This happened on a bunch of different occasions with other topics I hadn’t searched. After I uninstalled the Facebook app from my iPhone, it never happened again. I’m fairly sure that was the app that was listening to me.

[@LauraJeanne]

I beg to differ about not being listened to. A couple of years ago, a coworker and I were talking about it so decided to do an experiment. Neither of us owned a cat but discussed what brand of cat food we should get for our cat. Shortly after that I started to get advertisements about cat foods on my social media. I did not touch my pho.e durimg the discussion and did not look up anything about cats or cat foods. So the only way it could have happened was if it was listening in on our conversation. Up until then I never got ads for cat food.

[@lewis_r_]

And what do you think prompted you to think about cat food?

[@kenmore01]

Once you bought the cat food, what kind of cat did you get?

[@amicaaranearum]

If your phone is not listening, how does it hear its wake-up word?

[@babybirdhome]

@@amicaaranearumIt only listens for the wakeup word, and once it hears that, THEN it sends what it hears next to the internet for it to respond to you.

[@JJSolitude]

I'm pretty sure they get around the listening thing by turning your voice into text being sent rather then your voice. That way they can say they're not "listening."

[@DanCooper404]

Who the heck actually buys something advertised to them? I make it a point to ignore ads.

[@andycraddock7677]

As do I. However, and here’s the rub, the global advertising monolith makes every effort not to ignore you and me.

[@dukeallen432]

They know you better than you.

[@Beautyaddixion]

Literally everyone. That's why it exists.

[@tads73]

Exactly

[@christinasornbutnark1208]

Same😊

[@Metalmatte-31.1]

My phone sits on my desk. Coworkers talk about x. X now appears on my phone. There was no influence.

[@wtpauley]

100% This right here.

[@albertoserrano67]

Futurama's Dream-A-Vision where subliminal Ads are sent to your dreams for advertising while sleeping lol

[@SolaceEasy]

Just be sure to keep looking at the phone in the hour before you fall asleep.

[@MeRia035]

Oh lordy don't give them ideas 😅 Actually they've likely already considered it...👻

[@JonnoPlays]

The phones are listening and it has been proven. There is an entire department at Amazon and Apple where they listen to voice commands that were not understood to try to improve their ability to understand all voice commands. Many of these misunderstood voice commands are people who are engaged in sexual activity with their phone in their bedroom and weren't intentionally trying to engage their voice command feature. I know this because of good journalism, which this video is not sadly. The phones are listening and they're trying to act like since it's illegal the companies would never ever do it. Yeah right.

[@upsidedownbagofflour697]

Do you happen to remember the article or news organization you found that out from? Would love to read up on this

[@jrmaximus]

Like so many other comments agree - they ARE DEFINITELY LISTENING. I've experimented with this with a friend. We deliberately talked about something obscure and 100% unrelated to anything we have ever searched for and not connected to any interest etc. and suddenly - BAM - KZbin video suggestions and ads on websites start popping up about the subject.

[@michaelcaprio5269]

Having worked in the industry for as long as I have, and seen firsthand the behaviors of leadership in these companies, Occam's Razor tells me that they will absolutely break the law and listen to conversations and take the shortest path to getting the results they want. It also tells me that 95% of technologies like "big ad data" do not actually work and are hyped up vaporware, and that it would be next to impossible for them to have the success rates they've had with matching up things I've only said out loud and have never ever once visited another web site for.

[@cristinawilliams8026]

I swear they used to call this illegal surveillance. The law didn’t change, did it?

[@nildesperandum4776]

Sorry, but I've tested this with randomly generated products and subjects, that were then mentioned in proximity to several ownerless devices, each one then displayed those products/subjects within 10 minutes of exposure, every time we tested it, even though they had not been exposed to advance psychological data sets or algorithmic behavior. The result was almost 100%.

[@erstwhile3793]

I don’t think this is the whole story though. I’ve had numerous instances of texting with one of my adult children about a situation in one of their lives, something unique to that moment, such as, seeing a huge spider in the shower, or an experience they just had on the road trip they’re on, in a place they’ve never driven to before, and within 24hr or less, I start getting KZbin videos in my feed that are unequivocally and directly related to that conversation. Facts about giant spiders, for example, or how they end up in the shower. Often these are videos that bear no relation to anything normally in my feed. Your explanation about this being the result of “them” managing my interests, just doesn’t wash. And this happens way too often to be just a case of noticing something that was always there, because now my brain is flagging it. Believe me, I’ve thought about and tried out all the alternative explanations. There’s definitely a connection between what we discuss on our family discord, and what shows up in my KZbin feed.

[@ElectricEclectic]

It’s listening for sure. It feels like PBS got this story wrong. I can talk about something so obscure, and so random, and entirely not related to anything I’ve ever previously searched for or talked about… I’ll see ads for that product category immediately.

[@mikevonellis]

I agree. I was at work and the subject of electric lawnmowers came up. I had not talked about or searched for electric lawnmowers in years. In about an hour I started getting ads for electric lawnmowers. In another instance I was talking with a coworker about her husband, who is a farmer and has cattle, having a very bad cold. I joked with her that she needed to get some of the antibiotic medication for cattle and give him a shot. I’m not a cattle producer and I had not talked about cattle medication or searched for it in many years. Within about an hour I had an ad on my phone for antibiotics medication for cattle. Both of these times my phone was in my pocket. Phones most definitely listen to our conversations and it’s a serious invasion of privacy. They just haven’t been investigated or sued yet. Then it will be in the news and phone companies will go into complete denial. Corporations in the tech world have entirely too much power and control over data gathering on individuals and it needs to be stopped by law.

[@antinatalope]

What I can tell you is, many a time that I have a conversation, KZbin will have that in my recommendations feed. And that's even talking without my phone, but a contact's phone near me.

[@tads73]

Your phone apps are listening. And most people give the app permission when they first download it. Android users cam restrict app permissions in the permission manager. Also, their is a back door for apps to make you think you restricted permissions. If you restrict Facebook the use of your microphone/ listening device, but you didn't for Instagram, Facebook will hijack Instagram permission to use the microphone.

[@rachellight1186]

This isn't always true. I've actually had ads pop up on crap I've never been interested in nor searched for and had for whatever reason ended up popping on my phone after someone I was talking to brought it up. It's happened to me on several occasions and is so annoying.

[@someperson2530]

Yep, same thing happens all the time with my gf. I could mention the most random thing she's never even searched for or anything and it'll pop up for her.

[@Misteribel]

I believe there's a CNN video where they experiment with this idea, and they manage to prove that their phone is indeed listening.

[@danmaruska]

Phones provide lots of data - they listen for keywords, like coffee or Toyota, etc. They use geolocation data to know if you’re in a grocery store or at a gas station, possibly even the department you’re in. They use data about who else’s phone you’re near - a store employee or salesperson, for example. Now with AI, your phones will know more and more about a user and their interests. The laws need to catch up.

[@broke6785]

Idk why but no one has been talking about the fact that we discovered an ocean in the mantle. I would love for you to shed some light on this quite new interesting discovery.

[@NashvilleNative-0]

Absolutely are listening. When I talk on the phone about something, it shows up on my Google news feed. It isn't stuff they predict I would be interested in. They are absolutely listening. Things I have not typed in to the phone.

[@andycraddock7677]

The Super-Lobby crowd on K Street in DC (and elsewhere) would spend BILLIONS to fight this, but the USA long ago passed that point where we need a European style, federal-level, set of “Right to be Forgotten” laws. And such laws must have teeth, permitting both private or individual causes of action against transgressors and criminal and civil actions by US Attorneys General (Assistant AGs) with possible penalties including real and significant prison time for those convicted of violating such laws. Especially laws pertaining to sensitive information, such as healthcare data or info on children.

[@RestynPeece]

You give your phone permission to listen to you. It IS listening to. Algorithms are used ALSO not instead of.

[@UAUSA-s3u]

"Is Your Phone Listening to You?" - Yes. And recording everything you say. And being sold. Thank you Amerifats

[@thomassecurename3152]

How did YOU know I was thinking of this?

[@Denka_]

it 100% is listening. The amount of times I've seen things I've only talked about out loud appear in algorithms is far too often.

[@LFTRnow]

Yes - I never discussed guitars but someone at work constantly did. He did it several days in a row and then I suddenly got ads for guitars. They are listening. Personally, I don't care that they are - but they are clearly listening.

[@amicaaranearum]

If your phone is not listening, how does it hear its wake-up word?

[@notbanksy8294]

A friend borrowed to ladder from a neighbor. It was a mulit-way folding kind. I made a comment about the old video of the guy on a home shopping network show that was demonstrating a folding ladder that ends up collapsing on him. I didn't search for the video, or anything related, but 2 days later it just happens to pop up in my youtube feed. The video is 16 years old. Explain this.

[@partdeux992]

correlation is not causation

[@notbanksy8294]

@@partdeux992 random coincidence, what are the odds.

[@partdeux992]

@@notbanksy8294 i'm kidding. u r right :) they probably process info w AI by now

[@notbanksy8294]

@@Joe-sg9ll probably dem aliens again, yep.

[@ChristopherCurtis]

I just posted this as a reply to another post, but this is a good example as well. My guess is that your neighbor looked up the video you were talking about. Here's what I posted earlier: When I reply to you KZbin knows that we had a conversation and links us. It will recommend some of the channels that you've liked based on what other people I've interacted with have also liked. As for phones, it knows who you're near (ie, via bluetooth or the new "find my device" network) and makes similar associations. If you ever bring your phone to another person's house and it sees you on their network, it will bring your content recommendations onto their smart tvs. I watch a small streamer that does "reaction" videos. When the video reaction ends and KZbin pulls up new videos to watch, I have seen recommendations there that I also see in my own account. That's not to say the phone ISN'T listening (it is), but as the video suggests, what's really happening is far more interesting.

[@ZMAN_420]

I know it's listening me and my friend were taking about cutting the grass, then he gets a lawnmower ad on his phone.

[@OptimizeTube]

I disagree. I know Google is listening. That said, we obviously gave permission. I'm not saying the ads don't direct and influence our thoughts and desires, but I am saying.. without a doubt Google is listening, watching and the AI is understanding. It's one thing to be shown an ad for used trucks after mentioning the topic only once, but it's a totally different thing to never see another used truck ad after the way I had reacted to the ad making a big deal about it and discussing it like I am now. Now that was a trip. But I had an experience that was shocking and had nothing to do with ads at all, but rather a project name that was freaky personal. I mean waaaay personal.... Yeah. Listening. Watching. Understanding.

[@ParmMohan-us6rn]

Churches listen to conversations all the time in Canada and then use that information or knowledge about you against you.

[@cat_terrell]

That's low tech, surveillance though.

[@jdog22c34]

This video feels like a cover for the listeners. There are many examples where no algorithm would ever be able to deliver on an ad with a product, so odd, so specific, yet shows up right after you mention it.

[@marcussmart3275]

It's much more than just listening. Have elbow problems and told no one. I'm getting elbow stuff ads. I can start using Google and it has what I'm thinking as a suggestion...

[@Turdfergusen382]

Oh please they are 1000% listening in on your life. For multiple reasons. Some commercial some ideological. What you think that Alexa ball is for

[@yatinexile7144]

At least SOMEbody listens to me.

[@BuhodePiedra]

I disagree. They need to “do journalism,” in this case that would be starting up a brand new smart phone with a brand new email and a brand new Amazon account. Then discuss something within ear shot of the phone. Then see if it appears or not. Because given this control, and if it still pops up, then yes we could prove that they are indeed listening. These things are 2 way audio/video.. and our privacy laws are not respected in any serious manner.

[@MollyBrown-f9i]

The phone is definitely listening. Talking to a friend about his ideal desk he is looking for and immediately ALL advertisements were for desks. Talking about bathroom fans was the same, adverts went from desks to desks and bathrooms fan motors. I always bury my phone in sofa cushion when at home and never use two step verification with google. Two step verification guarantees your phone will be next to your computer. Never trust any corporation with your right to privacy. It is Ok to use common sense.

[@blazayblazay8888]

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE REAL PBS?

[@brainstem2023]

It's not just your internet searches and purchases. It's also everywhere you check in. If your GPS history is turned on, then you're giving them everywhere you go and allowing them to keep the history. Turn it off and delete the history.

[@DeRussellMasina]

We have Alexa, Google home, 3 tablets 9 cell phones, a Samsung TV.... Yes they are listening 👂🏻

[@jpd9415]

Does it listen to you when your internet data or WiFi is on? Or is it listening when it's off?

[@zaizoesclashing7103]

One time I was playing online games and somebody had faked their own death and we were talking about it in a group chat, Later that day in my Google News feed was the headline why people sometimes fake their own death LOL😂 This kind of stuff happens all the time phones are definitely listening to us, Mine's even tried to off itself a few times LOL

[@brlopwn]

The comments section here shows how many misconceptions people have about their life and how easy it is to believe we are each special - a unique snowflake that cannot be whittled down to a few data points. But you CAN be reduced down to a demographic, to numbers and categories. There is so much data on you out there that, at this point, the databases and algorithms probably know more about your thoughts and choices than you do. Yes, there are those outliers breaking the law. But, unless you go to great lengths to disable ad-tracking and anonymizing your online presence (getting more difficult as the years pass), it's really just the data YOU provide being used to influence you in your purchasing decisions, political ideals, etc. The amount of ignorance (and level of superstition) displayed here is really demoralizing - no wonder we aren't able to make smart, protective laws regarding this stuff.

[@jamiegallier2106]

Critical and properly skeptical thinking skills need to be constantly reinforced, too many people never learned them.

[@clintstinkeye5607]

Of course all of the terms and conditions I've agreed to 100% respect my privacy. Nobody would EVER want ANY personal information about me or anyone else on the planet. People and especially governments are nosy AF and OF COURSE are soaking up any iota of data available. I've had countless experiences where I immediately got ads or suggestions specifically about what I just happened to be randomly talking about at the moment with whomever. It's kinda obvious what's happening and why get angry about it? The technology age is here. Welcome to modern life. Get used to it.

[@MEGA-AZEL]

The wheel broke on my chair and I told my coworker. I picked up the phone and a ad for chair wheels. It's listening!

[@peterbathum2775]

Where’s an empty forest away from this creeping evil use of technology

[@print4apet]

Against the law, lol I have NOT given insta permission to mic or picts, yet I can, with app not launched, be talking in person to someone about a product, launch insta say an hour later, an yup I have an ad on said product, who else has this, an who wants to file a class action against meta ???? Cause hello its illegal !!!!

[@AdeleiTeillana]

😂 Clearly someone commented without watching the video!

[@akhragee]

saying "nuh-uh, that would be a crime! probably you're just a big rube" is not in any sense a debunking.

[@babybirdhome]

@@akhrageeThe debunking is the fact that there are literally tens of millions of cybersecurity professionals all over the world, and not one of them is saying your phone is listening to you all the time. Here are several ways to prove it. 1. Examine your network traffic. Nobody can listen in on your conversations without actually having your conversations to listen in on - that requires them to send it over the network, and you can easily inspect everything coming from or going to your device over the network. 2. With tens of millions of cybersecurity experts all over the world, none of them are out there telling you your phones are listening to you all the time. In fact, outside of a handful of very limited cases, they’re all telling you that your phone is not listening to you. 3. Charge your phone up to 100%, then call someone on it and talk to them until it dies. Measure how long that takes. Next, charge your phone up to 100% again and this time, just set it down on the counter all day and don’t touch it and don’t use it for anything. Does your battery last longer or not? If it lasts longer, it’s because it’s not transmitting everything you’re saying all the time because it’s not listening in on your conversations all the time. 4. Look at how much data you use in a month. Don’t use your phone for anything for a month and check it again. Is your data usage way down? That’s because your phone isn’t listening to everything you say and sending it to data brokers over the internet. If it were, you’d see it on your phone bill in data usage every month. 5. Try your experiment again, but this time put your phones in the microwave first (don’t turn the microwave on!). Your microwave blocks your phone’s signals because your phone uses the same frequencies as microwaves use. This will prevent it from being able to talk to the cellular network or local wifi networks or bluetooth networks. You’ll still see the same results with ads as you saw before. That’s because you’re talking about things you’ve already been primed to talk about before hand. The data brokers already know this - they’re the ones who primed you in the first place. There are numerous other simple ways to prove it’s not listening to you, but these will get you started.

[@IndependantMind168]

The video did not debunk the phone listening. It brushed it off as illegal and pointed to another technique used as the excuse. The reason this holds no water is that it doesnt explain why ads are shown when two people decide to speak about a random topic to intentionally make the ads show up on their devices. It's too far a stretch to attribute that to advertisers putting it in the peoples heads ahead of time.

[@adventurecreations3214]

We are being listened to. Do y'all really think we are that stupid.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Always. ALWAYS. Even when you select "airplane" mode. Good luck beating the computer code, too, btw. THINK ABOUT IT. Algorithmic jank can compute throngs and throngs of data about you faster than you can click a mouse ONCE. So... yeah... good luck.

[@jabba7746]

It happens too often to be a coincidence, theres no way it's just being done by searches on your phone. While my phone has been on standby I've had verbal conversations about... My Tag heuer watch, a friends boiler, another friend who was switching from Octopus energy, an easy digestible cat food my vet prescribed, my mates new shed and the possibility of taking up darts again. Only to unlock my phone and find targeted ads from Tag Heuer, British Gas boilers, Octopus Energy, Royal Canin cat food, Machine Mart's shed range and Darts corner. I haven't searched for these on my phone yet straight after each conversation I've had an advert for each one appear, like I said there's absolutely no way it's just coincidence when it keeps happening.

[@EdgarSanchez-rl9zh]

Nahh, I whent to a store looking for a gift for my daughter, looking arround i found a nice phone so i discussed about the specs of that phone with the clerk. I bought the phone. When i got home all adds where about that phone i bought. The only way google, Amazon could know is because they listened. i was not even planning on getting that phone.

[@RobinMoreOrLess]

"They" may also have access to your purchase records and geolocation accurate to within yards. Doing much more than just listening

[@EdgarSanchez-rl9zh]

I am sure they keep track of every paid item with my CC.

[@grimmace45]

Google owns andriod and andriod is my OS on my phone and im guessing they control the permissions to my microphone. So yeah maybe a 3rd party app cant listen but uhh. Google sure can.

[@peterbathum2775]

Destroying your phone might be the next step

[@ggtgp]

Send an email talking about snow skis and watch the ads for snow skis pop up in your browser for the next week.

[@kdcbattlecreek]

Yes, the phone is listening as well!

[@jockogle5250]

I think it's A I making individual profiles of peoples online behavior and information, From there The A I super computers can predict our behaviors and even our thoughts with ever increasing accuracy. The future is gaining on us faster than we can know.

[@jockogle5250]

This is why I've always hated automated services being forced on us. From traffic control too online shopping, banking etc.

[@GabrielleF9413]

Well aware, I am glad you are telling ppl who don't realize what's happening. All these hacks, just data-mining us.

[@Darkayne]

It is most certainly possible for phones and other devices (such as in cars) to listen to keywords. And keywords are enough for profile building. "But that's against the law" is to Google as "Google cares about your privacy" is to them.

[@KSsoundguy]

I had a conversation at a gas pump with a guy that had Florida plates. I lived in Kansas at the time. When I got home there were google ads on my phone about getaways to Florida. Pretty sure it was Facebook that was listening. I no longer use Facebook on the phone and ads seem to be reduced.

[@cynthiahowe]

Yes cell phones listen to us. Computers and TVs as well.

[@wanderingquestions7501]

I have never received any ad remotely pertinent to my purchasing inclinations until after I already bought it.

[@Warg666]

Does that mean my Video game console is listening to me as well?? I said "I want Criminal Damage to appear god damn it!" snapped my fingers an 1 second later on GTA V "Criminal Damage will starts 2 minutes"!~

[@anthonyenosis1]

lol, them listening to you is "rare because its illegal"... uh huh because illegal actions stop corporate interests ALL the time. i call BS

[@Shenanigans0409]

Why was I just having a conversation with my mom about things listening to you, and then this video pops up 24 hours later?

[@chonglers1513]

You also get ads depending on where you go too. If you go out of town to someones house, you get different ads depending on the people who live there. At least thats how I think it happens

[@Jannemandevries]

My Pixel phone started telling me what song it hears playing on the home screen. This proofs it's always listening.

[@toomanykatsu]

Now I wanna know my category 😂

[@JJSolitude]

It's not listening, it's voice to text. That's how they get around the listening part as the information you give by voice is transferred by text.

[@thekeymaker6692]

Say something about a plane ticket to Hawaii and there would be a airline ad 100% guaranteed.

[@there_can_only_be_one__unicorn]

I do practically zero social media; i never watch adds -nor have i set preferences. BUT when i turn my phone off at an appointment for physiotherapy; how come when i turn it back on ,im shown adds for physiotherapy, lol.... YES ITS LISTENING ALL THE TIME!!! but its just a computer matching up key words -but that also means a person could do as well. Its all about terrorism ;thats the reason they will ever give -its a very hard issue; looking for terrorists in society without watching society -which do you choose: security over privacy OR privacy over security. If you get citizens to watch society, then you get paranoia.

[@dre_withwithout]

What came first the Ad company or your need to consume?

[@RealMTBAddict]

Want*

[@dekerta]

"How did my phone know I was just talking about retro video games??" Dude, your phone case is an NES controller... You have obviously spent a lot of time online viewing and searching things related to retro video games...

[@amicaaranearum]

This.

[@SirDydimus86]

If SIRI or ALEXA or GOOGLE ASSISTANT randomly opens, they're listening.

[@JJs_playground]

I've experienced this many times. And I believe our phones are listening to us.

[@xXwatevermanXx]

I used to trust PBS. This video is such a load of crap. Your phone is always listening and apps are tracking and sharing info. You ever look for something on a website and then the same thing is on fb and utube ads? Cmon PBS you are only fooling yourselves with this video.

[@vexacron]

was this documentary made for children? What happened to nova

[@RealMTBAddict]

Propaganda

[@davidletarte214]

they are definitely listening & it is something you have to opt out of (with google at least, but i'm sure apple lets you opt out as well).

[@miinyoo]

It's not a matter of if but when. Of course someone can use your phone to listen in because there are not difficult to understand back doors built into the device "in the name of safety" and for purposes like 911 and victim rescue. Normally you need not worry about it. It's mostly machines gathering data. But if someone decides to target you, they can listen in and record whenever they want as long as your phone is connected to any service. It doesn't need to be "on". To prevent this, you remove the battery if you can. If you can't, then assume it is on all the time even with all of its connections turned off and sim card removed. Also, a dead battery isn't fully dead until it's actually dead. The phone will turn off but the emergency back doors will still work until the battery is truly dead.

[@OptimizeTube]

Look how many comments say "they are listening" and none of us care!?! wtf is wrong with us!!! It's not a good thing!

[@SussyBacca]

It turns out Cox media and others actually were listening and people just dreamed up this nonsensical "nah bruh, they are just SO GOOD THEY KNEW WHAT YOU WANTED BEFORE YOU SAID IT BRUH" what the heck is wrong with media today? They just phone it in? Cox Media ADVERTISES that they do active listening to show ads!!! 😂😂😂

[@johnpaullennon1199]

The answer is yes and when you turn off the mic, it uses your camera to ID products we tried it with dog treats

[@Hyvää-Päivää]

Every single one of them should be sued BIG TIME FINE for privacity invatvation !!!!!! of a persons 'life how would they like it if was them !

[@adanr2389]

Yeah… no, I’m pretty sure they are listening. This is just trying to change the narrative. You can literally talk about a product and next thing you know you are seeing an ad about it.

[@guycore5478]

And now we all know why we were offered this video to watch.

[@doomknocker]

Dawg you have a retro video game themed skin on your phone... I don't think your phone needs to listen in on your conversations to know you like retro video games

[@SOS-ct9mv]

I still think my phone is listening to me😂

[@JinxedJax]

And you don't think those 50-inch TVs at Bestbuy for $199 don't have a camera in it? 😂

[@Ivehadenuff]

I will mention something on the phone and then will see ads pop up for what talked about.it’s creepy

[@coreygarnett5826]

The simple answer is YES

[@leolldankology]

Everything is listening.

[@kristensorensen2219]

I never have a smart phone on me and turned on! I talk on stupid flip phones. I disconnect the damn battery when I'm not using it. No pre 1996 car I own tracks me or even has a computer except in the fuel injection. The 21st century is a horror show daily!!

[@Dementia69]

That N.E.S. phone case

[@amicaaranearum]

Gee, how did it know he was interested in retro gaming?

[@mark.J6708]

This is why we should force these people to pay for our information. They are making billions for information on us and paying us nothing.

[@DakotaFord592]

So when you are going to the bathroom the phone listens too!!!