Cybersecurity specialists say microphones may be constantly picking up clues ... trends now
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Ever had the uneasy feeling your smartphone is eavesdropping on you?
The eerie truth is that it may be doing exactly that – in order to show you adverts tailored to your interests, experts say.
Nearly half of Britons believe they have been a victim of ‘sonic snooping’ – where ads for a product pop up on your phone screen soon after talking about it or seeing it on TV.
Cybersecurity specialists NordVPN have now said this phenomenon really is happening, thanks to apps listening in to background noise – and potentially private conversations too.
They said a phone’s microphone may be constantly picking up clues as to where someone is, what they are doing and what they are interested in.
Nearly half of Britons believe they have been a victim of ‘sonic snooping’ – where ads for a product pop up on your phone screen soon after talking about it or seeing it on TV
A survey of more than 1,000 people in the UK conducted by the company found 45 per cent had noticed an advert for a product or service that they had not searched for but had recently spoken about or seen on TV.
Half of respondents said it made them feel as though they were being followed,
