Many Facebook users have expressed concerns that the social media platform is eavesdropping on their conversations.
However, security experts have tested the platform and found this is untrue. Facebook and Google can deliver targeted ads to users due to the massive amount of data they collect from users.
Jake Moore, a global cybersecurity consultant for security company ESET with more than 10 years of experience fighting online threats, confirmed that there is no scientific evidence to prove that Facebook and other platforms are eavesdropping on their users. He explained that while a phone is technically capable of listening and responding to the user, phone manufacturers are not allowed to actively listen to what users say. This is because recording conversations for targeted advertising would overload the device, causing it to drain the battery and heat up quickly. Additionally, it is illegal for Facebook and other platforms to listen to users' conversations.
In summary, Facebook and other platforms are not eavesdropping on their users but are instead using the data they collect to deliver accurate ads.
He explained that voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant are designed to listen and respond to users. Still, they only activate when the user utters keywords like "Hey Siri" or "OK Google". The manufacturers of smartphones cannot actively listen to conversations and record them for the purpose of delivering targeted ads. The constant activation of the microphone and sending of data can cause the device to overload, heat up, and drain the battery quickly.
Security experts have found that technology companies like Meta and Google can collect a great deal of information about users without resorting to eavesdropping. They can gather data like a user's age, gender, family status, and even their location and social connections. They know what users search for, the content they view, the brands they buy, and the topics that interest them.
This information may seem innocuous on its own, but these platforms can use it to create a detailed profile of each user and use it to make suggestions to them. Advertisers use this information to ensure that their ads reach the highest percentage of end-users possible.
Before Jake Moore, this explanation had been given by other experts but was still not enough to convince many people. In a survey on VnExpress in May, 77% of the 13,000 participants said they often felt Facebook eavesdropped on them.
According to Moore, skepticism also comes from each person's brain. He gave an example: a few years ago, after buying a new car, he began to notice and see many cars of the same brand, model, and color on the street. Of course, it's not natural for a series of similar cars to appear in town. "This is because my brain starts paying more attention to cars similar to mine. This feeling is similar to users seeing the exact ads being sent to them," he gave an example.
He believes that the brain sometimes makes mistakes, sometimes deceiving its owner. Studies show that each person speaks thousands of words every day and among them will be keywords that can be linked to products, services, or businesses advertising online. If the phone really listened to thousands of keywords from users, there should have been thousands of corresponding ads delivered continuously throughout the day. And so, eavesdropping for targeted advertising becomes meaningless.
Another problem is that users often pay too much attention to the probability of a match between the conversation content and the ad that just appeared, rather than the times when information is ignored or misattributed.
Besides, advertising display is also thanks to the combination of data samples from Facebook and Google that the brand has. Sometimes Google and Meta understand users' habits and needs better than they do, so advertising a favorite restaurant right after they mention it may be the result of a series of analyzes and links. The data was collected long ago.
In case you are not sure, experts recommend that users can completely turn off access to the social network's phone microphone. On Android devices, go to Settings > Application Permissions > Microphone > Facebook/Instagram... and select off. On iOS devices, go to Settings > Facebook/Instagram > Microphone and select off. Here, they can also turn off other access rights such as location, images, and cameras. However, this will affect the experience because every time you need to perform features such as calling or sending voice chat, users must add the step of activating the microphone for the application. They can also compare whether turning off microphone access makes ad targeting less accurate to find the answer for themselves.
Jake Moore, a global cybersecurity consultant for security company ESET with more than 10 years of experience fighting online threats, confirmed that there is no scientific evidence to prove that Facebook and other platforms are eavesdropping on their users. He explained that while a phone is technically capable of listening and responding to the user, phone manufacturers are not allowed to actively listen to what users say. This is because recording conversations for targeted advertising would overload the device, causing it to drain the battery and heat up quickly. Additionally, it is illegal for Facebook and other platforms to listen to users' conversations.
In summary, Facebook and other platforms are not eavesdropping on their users but are instead using the data they collect to deliver accurate ads.
He explained that voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant are designed to listen and respond to users. Still, they only activate when the user utters keywords like "Hey Siri" or "OK Google". The manufacturers of smartphones cannot actively listen to conversations and record them for the purpose of delivering targeted ads. The constant activation of the microphone and sending of data can cause the device to overload, heat up, and drain the battery quickly.
Security experts have found that technology companies like Meta and Google can collect a great deal of information about users without resorting to eavesdropping. They can gather data like a user's age, gender, family status, and even their location and social connections. They know what users search for, the content they view, the brands they buy, and the topics that interest them.
This information may seem innocuous on its own, but these platforms can use it to create a detailed profile of each user and use it to make suggestions to them. Advertisers use this information to ensure that their ads reach the highest percentage of end-users possible.
Before Jake Moore, this explanation had been given by other experts but was still not enough to convince many people. In a survey on VnExpress in May, 77% of the 13,000 participants said they often felt Facebook eavesdropped on them.
According to Moore, skepticism also comes from each person's brain. He gave an example: a few years ago, after buying a new car, he began to notice and see many cars of the same brand, model, and color on the street. Of course, it's not natural for a series of similar cars to appear in town. "This is because my brain starts paying more attention to cars similar to mine. This feeling is similar to users seeing the exact ads being sent to them," he gave an example.
He believes that the brain sometimes makes mistakes, sometimes deceiving its owner. Studies show that each person speaks thousands of words every day and among them will be keywords that can be linked to products, services, or businesses advertising online. If the phone really listened to thousands of keywords from users, there should have been thousands of corresponding ads delivered continuously throughout the day. And so, eavesdropping for targeted advertising becomes meaningless.
Another problem is that users often pay too much attention to the probability of a match between the conversation content and the ad that just appeared, rather than the times when information is ignored or misattributed.
Besides, advertising display is also thanks to the combination of data samples from Facebook and Google that the brand has. Sometimes Google and Meta understand users' habits and needs better than they do, so advertising a favorite restaurant right after they mention it may be the result of a series of analyzes and links. The data was collected long ago.
In case you are not sure, experts recommend that users can completely turn off access to the social network's phone microphone. On Android devices, go to Settings > Application Permissions > Microphone > Facebook/Instagram... and select off. On iOS devices, go to Settings > Facebook/Instagram > Microphone and select off. Here, they can also turn off other access rights such as location, images, and cameras. However, this will affect the experience because every time you need to perform features such as calling or sending voice chat, users must add the step of activating the microphone for the application. They can also compare whether turning off microphone access makes ad targeting less accurate to find the answer for themselves.
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