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Yes, it sounds like a conspiracy theory. But maybe our phones really are listening to us | Arwa Mahdawi
Big brands already know far too much about us. But Cox Media Group’s ‘Active Listening’ software adds a whole new layer of creepiness
Conspiracy theorists of the world, rip off that tinfoil hat and take a bow: you were (kinda) right. Despite the fact pretty much everyone has a story involving chatting about something only to see an ad for that something pop up on a device, the idea that your phone actively listens to you has long been dismissed as silly. After all, brands don’t need to eavesdrop like that – they already have access to millions of data points that build up a detailed picture of your habits and predicted purchases.
But just because brands don’t need to listen to your conversations, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t companies figuring out creepy new ways to mine your data. 404 Media, a tech-focused news site, recently got hold of a pitch deck from Cox Media Group (CMG), touting its “Active Listening” software, which targets adverts based on what people say near their device microphones. The presentation doesn’t specify whether this voice data comes from smart TVs, smart speakers, or smartphones but the slide where it extols “the power of voice (and our devices’ microphones)” has a picture of people looking at their phones.
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Actors, activists and conspiracy theorists – a guide to the British far right
In the wake of the Southport killings, a more fragmented and decentralised extremist movement, featuring old and new faces, has emerged
Britain’s splintered far right has been trying to mount a resurgence by exploiting shock and anger at last week’s killings of three young girls in Southport.
Groups, individuals and influencers have been pumping out misinformation across numerous social media platforms, along with promoting protests that have frequently descended into violence.
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How TikTok bots and AI have powered a resurgence in UK far-right violence
Experts warn growth of extremist influencers and ‘micro-donations’ could create even bigger wave of unrest
Less than three hours after the stabbing attack on Monday that led to the death of three children, an AI-generated image was shared on X by an account called Europe Invasion. It depicted bearded men in traditional Muslim dress outside the Houses of Parliament, one waving a knife, behind a crying child in a union jack T-shirt.
The tweet, which has since been viewed 900,000 times, was captioned: “We must protect our children!” and shared by one of the most potent accounts for misinformation about the Southport stabbings.
Read MoreFive of the best books about conspiracy theories
From Covid misinformation to the JFK assassination, these compelling reads explore how conspiracies seduce believers
Effective conspiracy theories draw in believers by appearing to give a glimpse behind the curtain, of how the world really works, while preserving a sense that even in the modern technological era, there are still mysteries beyond most people’s understanding.
The problem is that most conspiracies come at a cost. It might seem harmless to believe aliens have made contact with humans, but suggesting that terror attacks were “false flags” or that secret societies are abducting children can fracture communities, provoke violence, and tear families apart.
