all questions
Wade0001

Wade0001 Feb. 25, 2025, 7:29 p.m.

My phone is definitely listening to me - privacy invasion or am I paranoid?

This keeps happening and it's freaking me out. Yesterday I was talking to my roommate about needing a new coffee maker (never searched for one online). This morning my instagram feed is FILLED with coffee maker ads. Last week same thing happened with vacation spots in Peru after a convo with my sister.

I've never given apps permission to use my microphone except for calls and voice memos. Yet somehow these ads are perfectly timed to conversations I've had verbally, never typed. How is this happening?!

Is my phone constantly eavesdropping? Are companies allowed to do this? Is this happening to anyone else or am I losing my mind?

Maximus111

Maximus111 Feb. 26, 2025, 12:01 a.m.

Targeted advertising got so sophisticated it just feels like they're listening. They're tracking literally everything else - location data, app usage, browsing patterns, purchase history

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Mane

Mane Feb. 26, 2025, 7:55 p.m.

try this experiment: talk loudly about something super specific you'd never buy (like cat furniture) then see if ads appear. My whole office did this with doghouses and boom - petco ads everywhere next day

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biofarm

biofarm Feb. 27, 2025, 3:22 p.m.

Reminder that "not giving permission" means nothing. Facebook app caught secretly activating mics back in 2016, they just got better at hiding it now

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mary-R

mary-R Feb. 27, 2025, 11:31 p.m.

plus the permissions screen is deliberately confusing. "only while using app" still means they can listen whenever app is open in background

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1981

1981 Feb. 28, 2025, 8:04 p.m.

My wife thought i was cheating because targeted lingerie ads kept showing up on my feed after SHE talked about buying some... on her phone... while i wasn't even home. explain that coincidence

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ED12

ED12 March 1, 2025, 2:14 a.m.

algorithm probably connected your accounts through shared wifi network or location history. Still creepy but different mechanism

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misa9

misa9 March 1, 2025, 5 p.m.

Worked in adtech 3 years. Officially: we don't listen through mics

Unofficially: data collection methods classified as "proprietary" for a reason

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vio2308

vio2308 March 2, 2025, 1:24 p.m.

According to section 15(b) of california's privacy rights act, companies must disclose all data collection methods. Yet somehow microphone access remains conveniently ambiguous in most privacy policies

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barbie love story

barbie love story March 3, 2025, 11:36 p.m.

Modern life just trading privacy for convenience. Complete privacy available to anyone willing to yeet their phone into ocean and live in woods

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MissJane

MissJane March 5, 2025, 11:20 a.m.

confirmation bias driving most of these stories. You notice the hits (ads matching conversations) but ignore thousands of misses (random ads unrelated to anything you discussed)

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145434

145434 March 8, 2025, 7:33 p.m.

Found literal microphone hardware backdoors in three major phone models during security research. Manufacturers claim "diagnostic purposes" but documentation non-existent

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ktkz27

ktkz27 March 10, 2025, 4:08 p.m.

so basically we carrying government-approved surveillance devices and paying monthly for the privilege 🙃

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qwerty7777

qwerty7777 March 13, 2025, 9:16 p.m.

my grandpa: "these phones listening to everything we say!"

me: rolls eyes three targeted ads later based on our conversation

me: joins tinfoil hat society

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msv172

msv172 March 17, 2025, 3:40 p.m.

Turned microphone permissions off completely. Now i just take calls through bluetooth headphones. Paranoid? Maybe. Sleeping better? Definitely

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q1

q1 March 23, 2025, 12:11 p.m.

voice identification accuracy improved 83% since 2018. they don't need to record everything - just enough to build voice signature and keyword profile

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my6600

my6600 March 30, 2025, 8:53 p.m.

Deleted social apps, switched search engines, used faraday bags - STILL getting targeted ads matching verbal convos. Either psychic algorithms or they definitely listening

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leon-rap

leon-rap April 1, 2025, 1:03 a.m.

Tried airplane mode experiment? Talk about random product with phone supposedly disconnected, then reconnect and watch for ads

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mxo777

mxo777 April 6, 2025, 5:51 p.m.

These companies valued at billions specifically because they extract and monetize our data. Assuming they're NOT using every possible collection method is naive

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