Documents obtained by 404 Media disclose that Cox Media Group, a major TV and radio news conglomerate, said in a pitch deck presented to potential customers that it leverages artificial intelligence to listen to users' conversations and then uses the data to deliver targeted advertisements. This alarming revelation has raised significant concerns about personal privacy and the ethics of using active listening technology for advertising purposes.
The deck also listed tech giants such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon as clients of CMG's 'active listening' service. This association underscores the troubling prospect that major corporations may be complicit in enabling such invasive advertising methods that exploit user privacy for profit.
After 404 Media reached out to Google, the tech company removed CMG from its Partners Program. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced it is now reviewing CMG to verify compliance with its terms of service, illustrating the serious repercussions businesses face when technology misuse is exposed.
Amazon's response was notably firm yet somewhat ambiguous. A representative told 404 Media that Amazon Ads 'has never worked with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so,' adding that if any marketing partner violated its rules, Amazon would take appropriate action. This statement raises questions about transparency and accountability in advertising partnerships.
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