A marketing team within media giant Cox Media Group (CMG) claims it has the capability to listen to ambient conversations of consumers through embedded microphones in smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices to gather data and use it to target ads, according to a review of CMG marketing materials by 404 Media and details from a pitch given to an outside marketing professional. Called “Active Listening,” CMG claims the capability can identify potential customers “based on casual conversations in real time.”

  • FfaerieOxide@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    This argument presumes that the entire many-billion and maybe even multiple-trillion dollar global ad industry is ALL based on complete, ineffective nonsense.

    Strangers things have happened than money being thrown at bullshit.

    NFTs were a thing, recall.

    • admiralteal@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      All the industry analysis of the ROI on advertising would’ve had to come to the same spurious conclusions about that effectiveness, too. With the largest, richest, and most profitable firms being the ones MOST fooled.

      No, I don’t think anything that strange has ever happened. This is basically a conspiracy theory.

      • FfaerieOxide@kbin.social
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        11 months ago

        A bunch of people making money jerking one another off and you think any one of them’d be in a rush to rock the boat?

        You sound much more conspiratorial with your “capitalism always results in rational and correct decisions” fallacy.

        • admiralteal@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          You’ve literally just described your own view as believing in a grand conspiracy where all players have sworn themselves to secrecy in a scheme any one of them could undermine in a moment, so I guess that’s that.

          • FfaerieOxide@kbin.social
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            11 months ago

            I don’t see where I did that. To say you sound more conspiratorial (which you do) is not an admission of any conspiratorial thinking on my part.

            • admiralteal@kbin.social
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              11 months ago

              A bunch of people making money jerking one another off and you think any one of them’d be in a rush to rock the boat?

              In case you edit it away later. Very good, bye now.

              • FfaerieOxide@kbin.social
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                11 months ago

                Now is that me describing my view as …I believe the quote was “believing in a grand conspiracy”?

                And don’t try to side-step that you were speaking metaphorically as you literally said

                literally

                You’ve literally just described your own view as

                I did no such thing.

                You seem to have a similar grasp on others’ words as you do the realities of economic systems.