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Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

bbc.com

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Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#171

Post by edanm »

tenpies wrote: post #142
qbrass wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see how it's beneficial to the advertiser when the person has already bought the product before they've seen the ad? It sounds like someone is trying to game the advertiser by correlating ad views with sales.

> It sounds like someone is trying to game the advertiser by correlating ad views with sales. Shhh. If advertisers realize how utterly wasted most of their advertising spending is you'll destroy about 80% of "tech" companies and plunge the world into a global recession.

Or maybe you're wrong about how useful advertising is?

(Is it really easier to believe that we, the "smart techies" of HN, just know so much more and can see so much more clearly than everyone else?)

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#172

Post by mikeash »

comboy wrote: post #139
submeta wrote: post #133

If they do listen and present you ads based on your conversation, can't you fool it (and test it) by talking about (let's say) buying new running shoes? Shouldn't you observe ads about running shoes? Edit: added missing word

There are some videos of people who did exactly that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=U0SOxb_Lfps

I thought iPhone apps couldn’t silently listen to the microphone.

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#173

Post by madeofpalk »

aluhut wrote: post #101
brad0 wrote: post #97

> "At work, happened to me though earlier this year. Working as a barista, got a burn, talked to my partner in person about it, went to Target, bought the burn cream, and saw an ad on FB for the exact product I purchased. Never searched for product either," wrote Brigitte Bonasoro. Facebook has data sharing agreements with many, many companies. It's most likely that the cream was bought with a card then linked togeth…

Not sure if this is better or worse.

Well, I'm (marginally) more comfortable with a company like Facebook having this data compared to... Equifax

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#174

Post by imroot »

ec109685 wrote: post #106
imroot wrote: post #96

A few weeks ago, I went into a Lenscrafters because I needed some cleaning wipes for my glasses. I have Wifi, Bluetooth, and Location services disabled for Facebook. Someone messaged me on Facebook Messenger, I responded, put my phone back in my pocket, and finished the transaction, and then left Lenscrafters and walked down to the store that I was actually in the mall to see. Within the day, I started seeing context…

Or like the article said, you just noticed the contextual eyeglass ads because you had just been to lens crafters and it seemed weird to you. Also, by contextual ads, do you mean the eye glass ads were related to context they were shown next to? The other explanation is Facebook has data sharing agreements with the payment instrument you used for the wipes.

I had been to Lenscrafters, but, there were no location services (no wifi, gps, or bluetooth) turned on...just my cell phone data.

By contextual ads, I mean, "News stream ad/in game ad" -- basically, anything that had been targeted to be sent to my device.

I believe I read something about Facebook using DataLogic info (which tries to tie payment instruments to advertising clients), but, apparently the music supplier for LensCrafters also has "Audio Beacon" technology for their clients to use (http://us.moodmedia.com/social-solutions/), so, it could be one of the two.

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#175

Post by denzil_correa »

madeofpalk wrote: post #95
denzil_correa wrote: post #73

> "I run ads product at Facebook. We don't - and have never - used your microphone for ads. Just not true," Mr Goldman wrote. Personally, I am so used to corp speak and word play by major companies that it is difficult to take anything at face value. Therefore, I think the nature of the question asked to Facebook should be different. It should be on what they do rather do they do X. So, here's my question - "What doe…

How could they respond to remove all doubt they're listening? Edit: https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/3/11854860/facebook-smartpho... In a statement issued on June 2nd [2016], Facebook said it "does not use your phone’s microphone to inform ads or to change what you see in News Feed." That's pretty fucking clear to me. Original comment: If they had said something like "We don't use microphones to gather data to drive p…

My question was NOT "Does Facebook use the phone's microphone to inform ads or change what we see in the News Feed?". It seems you have misunderstood my question. Let me repeat my question again :

"What does Facebook use data gathered from user microphones across any devices for?"

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#176

Post by jacobush »

madeofpalk wrote: post #173
aluhut wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if this is better or worse.

Well, I'm (marginally) more comfortable with a company like Facebook having this data compared to... Equifax

Why? FB has agency to actually do something, probably horrible with it. Equifax would just get hacked.

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#177

Post by vim_wannabe »

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #146
tfinniga wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is your question why privacy is important, or are you thinking of something else?

They have to respect our privacy. The moment they don't, it will cause widespread outrage. Once I realized that, it was hard to think of reasons why their actions are wrong.

There has been enough manufactured outrage to make people or decision makers stop caring about it.

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#178

Post by denzil_correa »

madeofpalk wrote: post #164
keketi wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Modify their apps to not request microphone permission.

Facebook doesnt request microphone access on iOS. https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT Edit: Actually, FB will ask for microphone permission if try to record a video. Based on every other app that records video also prompts for permission to record using the microphone, I'm lead to believe the microphone permission is required on iOS if you want to record video. FB Messenger does not prompt for Microphone until you record a vid…

> https://imgur.com/a/ifaiT

I can see "Messenger" and "Instagram" with access to microphone.

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#179

Post by kalleboo »

starky wrote: post #69
sp527 wrote: post #15

Once happened while remarking on the Fruit Loops shake at Burger King. Opened Facebook minutes later and got a Fruit Loops ad. I assure you I don’t message, post, or in any other way remotely suggest an affinity for Fruit Loops. Commenting on it at Burger King was the definition of a one-off incident. I guess another possible explanation is some very sophisticated combination of location tracking and Kellogg’s target…

In my case I was talking about flying with some coworkers and mentioned the entertaining safety videos that New Zealand Air had done. Probably hadn't thought or talked about it for 3 years. Opened up Facebook and had an ad announcing their new video. The microphone permission was turned off on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram on my phone too, so either Android isn't blocking permissions properly, or they are gettin…

And you're sure none of the coworkers you were with Googled it?

Re: Facebook denies 'listening' to conversations

#180

Post by unabridged »

I think people are really underestimating how much they can use your friends search data (especially ones you have been in close proximity to) for your ads. Or how big their interest "niche" is. There are only so many categories of web users, even on the very fringe there are probably 10k who think and search just like you. And when they are searching/clicking on products, Facebook will show you similar things.
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