Community Chat

[Montana]

I recently noticed that I often get YouTube recommendations related to conversations I have had at home. I didn’t pay attention at first but when a video was selected for a subject I knew I had only talked about, that caught my attention.

I knew about key logging which tracks online searches, but  I never considered that smart devices might be monitoring what is spoken.

It would not surprise me.

[azgal]

I saw on a news program that the phones are always listening because they have to be ready to hear " ok Google " or " Siri" to respond  to our commands. 

It looks like they have figured out a way to use that to sell stuff. 

Very creepy.

[missy1]

yes

TV's, phones, street light cameras now have audio in some areas, and probably cars have devices.

[C in MA]

Yes of course anything with a microphone can track and record. 

[SurferWife]

Yes, they do. Just make sure if you & your husband want to have a night of romance, turn that phone off and leave it in the kitchen overnight. Yeppir...good idea.

[this is my nic]

Yes!  Our smart devices may be listening and looking at us.  A friend has 2 sons, both work for companies that develop either hardware, such as memory chips, or software for our military.  These are two completely different companies.  Each son told my friend to keep the camera lens on her devices covered when she wasn't using them for Facetime, Skype, etc.  They both said it's possible for hackers or just computer techies to write programs that would enable them to watch people.  I think the ability to listen definitely exists.  I have a bandaid on my IPad! 

[Marp]

What apps do y'all have running on your phones?  Have you checked permissions granted and do the permissions include access to your microphone?  How many of the apps are social apps like various google based apps, Facebook, Instagram, etc.?