Mythbusters: Does Facebook Listen To My Conversations?
If traditional marketing was a person, it would probably be that weird overbearing guy at the party who talks everyone’s ear off regardless of whether they are actually interested. In contrast, I at least like to think that if digital marketing were a person, it would be that gorgeous blonde (man/women/unspecified/) who approaches tactfully and starts talking to you about that new set of golf clubs you want, which leaves you thinking how the F#*k did they know I wanted those? Whether you buy the clubs or not, it is still more relevant to you than someone talking your ear off about something you have no interest in — and let’s face it someone is always going to be talking anyway.
We’ve all had conversations with friends about a particular product, and then seen that exact product appear on our Facebook feed as if Mark Zuckerberg was listening in like some kind of nerdy James Bond. So let’s break down some of the fake news about how your data is collected by Facebook and Google and how it is used by marketers to show you ads.
Does Facebook Listen To My Conversations Via My Phones Microphone?
I mean, Facebook might technically have access to your microphone if you gave the app permissions in your phone settings, but are they really listening and do they care about whether your friends James and Sally are really right for each other? The short answer is no, and James and Sally are going through a rough patch right now so lay off.
Facebook has stated, “We only access your microphone if you have given our app permission and if you are actively using a specific feature that requires audio.” So basically if you are using the app to make voice or video calls, obviously the app needs access to your microphone so people can hear you.
This may not be convincing considering Facebook doesn’t exactly have the most amazing track record with transparency and privacy, but there are some other explanations for why the exact thing you’ve just been talking about appears on Facebook as an ad.
The Explanation
Let’s say you are in the market for a new car or have just purchased one. What are you going to be looking at online and talking about with your partner? Well aside from the obvious being cars, you are probably looking at insurance and finance to name a few. It is not unreasonable to assume that one night after work you will be discussing finance options with your partner. How is this relevant? Well Facebook has a feature that allows interest based targeting. Meaning advertisers can select people interested in cars to target with other ads that people interested in cars would likely also need such as, you guessed it… finance and insurance. Bottom line is, no one is listening. Every advertiser worth their lukewarm soy latte should know their client or product well enough to target a market segment this way.
The Verdict: Myth busted
So there you are, your secrets are safe (relatively) but your browsing history and online behaviour leave hints for advertisers about the products you are probably talking about. Next time you see an ad online for something you just talked about, say a little thank you to your friendly neighbourhood digital marketing agency and give them some beer, I think I read somewhere that it’s 7 years of good luck.
