Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie says Facebook is listening to people through their smartphones.
Speaking to a group of British lawmakers yesterday looking into Cambridge Analytica's influence over the 2016 Brexit vote, Wylie said Facebook tries to figure out where you are based on the ambient noise. He says it tries to determine if you're outside, watching television or in an office, for instance, in order to improve targeted advertising.
He speculated it doesn't process exactly what someone is talking about. People have been providing anecdotal evidence of seeing ads for things they've talked about but never searched for online. Facebook denies it listens in on anyone.
Warnings about Cambridge Analytica were first published in British newspapers in 2015, but fell on deaf ears until the Russian election interference scandal broke. Google, Verizon , and other companies have also been accused of “listening in.”Source: BBC