Why It Feels Like Your Phone Is Listening to You

11/19/24 • 28 min

4 Listeners

It’s a familiar feeling if you spend enough time on the internet: you talk about something in the real world, and then you see that same thing advertised to you online. This uncanny experience has led many people to wonder: are our devices listening to us? And is that how online advertisers are able to serve such specific ads? David Choffnes, associate professor at Northeastern University, says it’s not that simple.

You can read the full study David discussed in this episode here.

What questions do you have about the technology in your life? Email us at [email protected].

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You can read the full study David discussed in this episode here.

What questions do you have about the technology in your life? Email us at [email protected].

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previous Episode

Deepfake Revenge Porn Is Rising: What Can You Do?

A new kind of deepfake revenge porn is sweeping the internet. Using artificial intelligence, bad actors can do things like superimpose your face on a nude body, creating convincing and harmful images. Tech companies and lawmakers are trying to play catch up, but the truth is these tools are still easy to access. So how can you and your loved ones stay safe from this dangerous technology? Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer specializing in digital harassment and sex crimes, has some answers.

If you've had someone create deepfakes of you, or if you're a parent and this happened to your child, we'd appreciate hearing from you about how you handled it. Email us at [email protected].

If you find an explicit image of yourself or a loved one on social media, here are some resources for getting it taken down:

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Try chatting with the bot yourself at debunkbot.com.

What questions do you have about the technology in your life? Email us at [email protected].

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices