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Facebook listening to conversations through microphone?

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Re: Facebook listening to conversations through microphone?

#2
> There was also an article a few years ago that talked about how they have super computers that aggregate all your data thats available about you and make estimates on when you would need something or have a life event. Its evidently crazy accurate at approximating when you would say get married, buy a car, buy a house, and very good at predicting your shopping habits.

Dear Facebook overlords, when will I meet the girl I'll marry?

Seriously, has anyone tried this?

Re: Facebook listening to conversations through microphone?

#5
The obvious reason is that your friends are searching for things. When you talk to your friends and your friend mentions that he's going through a divorce, the odds are great that he's looked up a divorce lawyer online, because you're friends, FB figures you'd be interested in the same thing and starts serving you ads for divorce attorneys.

Or if your friend is renovating his house and does a search for new cabinets, you'll see cabinets show up in your ads. And you won't think anything about it until you talk to your friend about his renovations. Then you get home, and your FB is full of renovation ads.

Never attribute to malice or competence (voice fingerprinting for ad targeting )what can adequately be explained by a stupid algorithm ("my friends and I must like the same things" ad targeting).

Re: Facebook listening to conversations through microphone?

#6
This is somewhat anecdotal but with the latest iOS and Facebook app versions, Facebook doesn't even show up on the list of apps that have requested to use my microphone. Unless they found some exploit to bypass Apple's restrictions and use my microphone without even asking for permission, I seriously doubt they're listening to users.

Re: Facebook listening to conversations through microphone?

#8
post #2

> There was also an article a few years ago that talked about how they have super computers that aggregate all your data thats available about you and make estimates on when you would need something or have a life event. Its evidently crazy accurate at approximating when you would say get married, buy a car, buy a house, and very good at predicting your shopping habits. Dear Facebook overlords, when will I meet the g…

> Dear Facebook overlords, when will I meet the girl I'll marry?

Facebook's ability to answer that question may be somewhat related to their ability to construct the outcome. They're integrated with the major dating apps, they choose which people are in and out of view, they know all about you both and have your communications and from when/where you communicate and what events you might attend together...

The question isn't "when will I meet the girl I'll marry", but: "please match me with the girl I'll marry".

Re: Facebook listening to conversations through microphone?

#9
post #2

> There was also an article a few years ago that talked about how they have super computers that aggregate all your data thats available about you and make estimates on when you would need something or have a life event. Its evidently crazy accurate at approximating when you would say get married, buy a car, buy a house, and very good at predicting your shopping habits. Dear Facebook overlords, when will I meet the g…

"Future murky. Try again later."
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