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Is Google always listening: Live Test

Mitchollow · 25.2M views · 2018-04-13 · 8:56

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Overview

A creator runs an informal live test of whether Google or Facebook listen through the microphone to target ads, using Chrome on Windows 10. The description admits the methodology is flawed, including that live streaming itself records the microphone.

On Hacker News

Cited in threads about phones listening for ads as an anecdotal demonstration, though other commenters doubt it.

Recommended by 1 HN people across 1 months · HN mentions 2018–2024

Topics

Privacy, surveillance & cybercrime
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privacyad targetingmicrophonegooglesurveillance

What people said

Alir3z4 · 2018-10 · Recommendation

Here's a live test that may help you to believe [VIDEO] and [LINK] In first video, a guy talks about dog toys and then he'll see ads related to what he talked about. Worth noting, he doesn't have dogs or searched about it. The ads are even specific to the toy colors he talked about.

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sandspar · 2024-09 · Criticism

"Is Google Always Listening: Live Test" (6 years ago) [VIDEO] Is this video bullshit? It seems like bullshit.

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Nadya · 2018-09 · Reference

See: [VIDEO] I tested this with my mother, telling her about this in person and talking about dog toys. My mother does not have a dog - but by the end of our 2 hour talk about how much she wanted to get her dog a dog toy she was getting advertisements for dog toys and dog food on Facebook. She has an iPhone.

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Sources

Video by Mitchollow, played through YouTube.

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