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Facebook isn't randomly turning on your microphone to sell you more targeted ads, as some conspiracy theories have asserted — but on Tuesday, the social media giant admitted that it has, in fact, been listening in on some users’ conversations.
Following an investigation by Bloomberg, the company admitted that it had been employing third-party contractors to transcribe the audio messages that users exchanged on its Messenger app.
The company said the messages used were “totally de-identified audio snippets used to improve AI transcription of messages from people who had opted into transcription on Messenger.”
The company says the practice has now been stopped, at least temporarily. There is no indication that Facebook has used the information it collected to sell ads.
“Much like Apple and Google, we paused human review of audio more than a week ago,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement. When asked if the practice was likely to be restarted, the company declined to answer.
So what was Facebook’s excuse for listening to users' audio? Everyone else was doing it.
A Facebook spokesperson told VICE News that the practice was “very common in tech” — at least until a week ago, when media reports revealed that Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft were all capturing and listening to audio from users’ devices.
In April, Bloomberg reported that Amazon was employing thousands of people to listen to what users say to its Alexa-powered speakers. Then, in July, Belgian broadcaster VRT obtained more than 1,000 audio recordings captured by Google, and the company admitted that the recordings underwent human review.
Last month, the Guardian revealed that Apple captured what its users were telling Siri, and reviewed those recordings to grade Siri’s responses.
And last week, an investigation by Motherboard revealed that Microsoft was using human contractors to carry out quality assurance on recordings for the company’s Cortana voice assistant.
All the companies, including Facebook, said the data was stripped of any identifying information and was only used to improve their products, and not to help tailor ads to users.
Facebook says it followed the lead of other companies to “limit human review of non-public audio.” When asked if it also captures audio from its Portal video calling product, the company declined to answer.
The revelation is just the latest in a long string of privacy violations the company has admitted to in recent years, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which compromised the data of 87 million users, and a 2018 hack that exposed the personal information of 50 million users. Just last month, the company last month agreed a $5 billion fine with the FTC after an investigation of privacy practices.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked by Congress last year about Facebook purportedly listening to people’s conversations without permission.
“You’re talking about this conspiracy theory that gets passed around that we listen to what’s going on on your microphone and use that for ads,” Zuckerberg said. “We don’t do that.”
Cover: File photo dated 02/04/19 of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who will remain as chairman of the social networking giant after an attempt to strip him of the position put forward by a group of shareholders was rejected. Issue date: Friday May 31, 2019. Niall Carson/PA Wire URN:43229063 [Press Association via AP Images]
Did you ever spend an afternoon talking about a topic with friends only to find ads for that same topic show up later in the day when you’re browsing your Facebook feed? Don’t worry, you’re not alone and you’re not going crazy. It happens, but is Facebook really listening in on your conversations?
Is Facebook listening to your conversations?
Facebook says no.
Four years ago, the company came under fire for accusations that it is listening to your conversations, then serving you ads based on those conversations.
“Facebook does not use your phone’s microphone to inform ads or to change what you see in News Feed. Some recent articles have suggested that we must be listening to people’s conversations in order to show them relevant ads. This is not true,” Facebook said. “We show ads based on people’s interests and other profile information – not what you’re talking out loud about. We only access your microphone if you have given our app permission and if you are actively using a specific feature that requires audio. This might include recording a video or using an optional feature we introduced two years ago to include music or other audio in your status updates.”
If Facebook isn’t listening then who is?
It happens. There’s no doubt about, but Facebook may…or may not be the culprit. Look around your desk. Right now, in our office, we have an Amazon Alexa device, iPhones, and smart TVs with microphones all around us. One of them is definitely listening in and giving our team ad recommendations.
So, we did a test.
Each person picked a topic they had no interest in and never browsed the web for or had any interest in.
My pick was “Meatloaf”, the singer. My test was to talk about Meatloaf and sing Meatloaf songs all afternoon.
Sitting at my desk, belting out the few lyrics I knew to a couple of songs over and over, the trap was set.
Later that night, on Facebook, out of the blue, an ad for Meatloaf’s music popped up.
Another spoke about buying a new bike and was inundated by Walmart bicycle ads from Google Adsense and different outdoor adventure-themed ads on Facebook that would be something of interest to an avid mountain biker.
Most had no ads show up. We couldn’t figure out a common denominator app or iPhone setting that would have allowed it, but it definitely did happen.
Google also issued a statement that its platform is not listening to your conversations.
The guilty parties eventually showed their faces
We were able to narrow things down to our Google Home and Alexa devices. They are listening to you. Amazon openly admits that Alexa is listening to your conversations and engineers use those conversations to better adapt the technology.
How do I stop my devices from listening to me?
If you use each of your voice-activated devices with the default setting, chances are they are listening to you. You can visit each device’s website and read its terms of service and see if you can opt-out. The practice is legal as long as the companies don’t abuse or exploit your data.
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You can also deny access to your microphone by apps you suspect are spying on you.
Sometimes, the ads might also be just because of your browsing and purchasing history. For instance, if you are an avid baseball memorabilia fan and you spend the whole day talking about the upcoming baseball season, don’t be shocked if related ads show up. Many apps partner with different services to get your buying history, so it could just be sending you recommendations based on your past buying habits.
Either way, if it’s something that worries you, you should check each device for best practice security measures.
We all know that Google can listen to your conversations, but what about Facebook? The social media giant claims that it doesn’t eavesdrop, but how often have you seen ads for products relating to a recent conversation?
It’s a bit creepy to have suggested products or services pop up in your feed after talking about them. There have been many memes made about the seemingly telepathic nature of Facebook. Targeted advertising is how Facebook makes the bulk of its revenue, so it wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea. Tap or click here to see how your phone really is listening.
While Facebook has denied listening in on conversations, it did confirm in 2016 that it uses the mic if you gave it permission. Even if what it says is true, you can never be too careful. Here are three ways to make sure that Facebook isn’t listening to your conversations.
1. Check your Facebook permissions
Before downloading an app, you can usually see the device functions it needs to operate and its requested permissions. Some won’t be out of the ordinary, but there have been instances where certain permissions weren’t necessary.
There is no reason why a mobile game would need access to your contact list to work or why a flashlight app needs to know your location. You can see the permissions an app requires for mobile devices, and you can revoke access if needed. Tap or click here to check your app permissions.
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In the case of Facebook, check whether it has access to your microphone and turn it off if it does. Just a word of caution: not all apps allow you to revoke certain permissions. In those cases, you must either delete the app completely or live with it.
How to check Facebook’s permissions on iOS:
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down to the app section and select Facebook.
- A list of access requests will be displayed here.
- Slide the toggle next to Microphone to the left to disable it.
To see a complete list of iOS apps that have access to your microphone:
- Tap Settings
- Tap Privacy
- Scroll down and tap Microphone
- A list of apps with access to your microphone will appear
- Slide the toggle to the left next to each app you want to disable
Here is how to do it on a Mac:
- Click the Apple menu
- Navigate to and click System Preferences
- Click Security & Privacy, then open the Privacy tab
All the apps that have requested [and been granted] access to the microphone will be listed here. Toggle the sliders of the apps that you want to revoke to the left to disable.
To check an app’s permissions on Android:
- Tap Settings
- Tap Apps & notifications
- Scroll down to Facebook
- Tap Permissions
A list of all the permissions requested by Facebook will be shown here.
Permissions on a desktop computer
For Microsoft’s Windows operating system, things work slightly differently. While it isn’t apps but rather programs being installed, the requests are divided into two sections.
To see which apps or programs have access to your microphone:
- Click on the Start button and select Settings
- Select Privacy
- Scroll down and under App permissions select Microphone
The first option, “Microphone access for this device,” is a system-wide setting. If you turn this off, all apps can’t access your microphone. Scrolling down a bit, you will see a list of Microsoft Store apps that can use the microphone. Toggle the slider to turn it on or off.
The next section displays desktop apps that have microphone permissions. This will include all third-party program installations, like Discord, Skype or Zoom. You can see when last the app access your microphone.
While you can’t turn off the access individually, you can toggle off the microphone under the heading “Allow desktop apps to access your microphone.” Keep in mind, disabling the mic here means it won’t work for programs like Zoom. You can jump back in and enable the mic when needed.
Apple’s efforts to protect your privacy
Included in the release of iOS 14, Apple required app developers to ask for your permission to access certain functions. It also required apps to get your consent before connecting to other devices on your network at home.
This has been done so you have control over which features of your phone an app can use. When iOS 14.5 rolls out, it will mark the deadline for asking permission, and if an app fails to do so, it will be pulled from Apple’s App Store.
If you want to know how to grant or revoke local network access, tap or click here for instructions.
2. Get a microphone blocker
There are several commercial options available for blocking your microphone from being accessed. When you plug in a headset, your device’s microphone is disabled in favor of the external microphone.
Companies like Mic-Lock produce tech solutions that trick your computer into thinking a microphone is plugged in. Obviously, the gadgets don’t have listening capabilities and block any acoustics from being recorded.
Mic-Lock makes microphone blockers for USB and Lightning connections, and for traditional 3.5mm jacks.
3. Go the DIY route
The Lightning connection to block the microphone for iOS devices will set you back around $26, but you can do it for cheaper. Grab a pair of inexpensive headphones and cut the cord near the jack. Now you can plug it into your computer or phone without worrying about live sound input.
Don’t have an old set of headphones? No worries. You can get a cheap pair from Amazon for less than $10.
Even if Facebook claims that it’s not listening in, you can’t trust it. The company has been caught betraying users too many times over the years to take its word for it. That’s why it’s important to take these steps on your own to get back some of your privacy.
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