Very Very strange facebook ad


I was just talking with my mother on a short car journey about a spesific subject not really a common subject but I wont say what it is here.

Please note that I have never typed anything relating to this subject into a search or typed it in a facebook msg.

Myth: Facebook is always listening using your microphone.

Fact: Nope, if you choose to turn this feature on, it will only use your microphone (for 15 seconds) when you’re actually writing a status update to try and match music and TV.


http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/05/a-new-optional-way-to-share-and-discover-music-tv-and-movies/

Do you have a better source, I'm not convinced?
 
You know something like that happened to me, I watched the TV show Firefly on Netflix on my PS3 quite a lot over a weekend, and after that my Facebook news feed on my phone had adverts for some Firefly tshirts, I don't have anything to do with Firefly on Facebook and it's quite an old series now so it was very odd.
 
You know something like that happened to me, I watched the TV show Firefly on Netflix on my PS3 quite a lot over a weekend, and after that my Facebook news feed on my phone had adverts for some Firefly tshirts, I don't have anything to do with Firefly on Facebook and it's quite an old series now so it was very odd.

Netflix linked with Facebook?
 
Looking at privacy guard on my phone it says Facebook has never used my microphone (only been installed since saturday). I might go to update my status and see if the mic kicks in.
 
Myth: Facebook is always listening using your microphone.

Fact: Nope, if you choose to turn this feature on, it will only use your microphone (for 15 seconds) when you’re actually writing a status update to try and match music and TV.


http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/05/a-new-optional-way-to-share-and-discover-music-tv-and-movies/

Do you have a better source, I'm not convinced?

Mainly anecdotal evidence like the OP's. A quick google will bring it up for you. I can't remember where I originally read the microphone thing, sorry. I think it was Reddit.

Looking at privacy guard on my phone it says Facebook has never used my microphone (only been installed since saturday). I might go to update my status and see if the mic kicks in.

Easy way to test really. :p

BTW Zethor, I'm not 100% claiming it's the microphone but it seems to make sense. I'm more than happy to be shown otherwise, though. :)
 
Nope totally separate and in the gfs name. Perhaps the advertising software knows my IP address has been streaming tons of Firefly and tells Facebook, since my phone is on the same WiFi it comes up on the phone?
 
Mainly anecdotal evidence like the OP's. A quick google will bring it up for you. I can't remember where I originally read the microphone thing, sorry. I think it was Reddit.

That's as reliable as astrology, in example. I did google the subject but I haven't found much, the evidence is just not there which suggests this probably is a modern myth.

BTW Zethor, I'm not 100% claiming it's the microphone but it seems to make sense. I'm more than happy to be shown otherwise, though. :)

The burden of proof does not rest on the skeptic. :D
 
That's as reliable as astrology, in example. I did google the subject but I haven't found much, the evidence is just not there which suggests this probably is a modern myth.

The burden of proof does not rest on the skeptic. :D

If it's a myth (ignoring the fact that such tactics aren't beyond these firms and apps) and assuming that the OP and many others included never made any mention of things online (statuses, web-searching, chat, etc.) then the next explanation would be a cognitive bias such as confirmation bias or frequency illusion.
 
That's not too unusual. It's something you'd usually see popping up randomly or based on previous web-searching history.

If you were talking about 15th Century Chinese pottery or something a little more nuanced, I'd be more skeptical.
 
Last edited:
That's the next topic sorted then. If there's a post tomorrow saying there is now a Chinese pottery advert then I'm buying the idea.
 
Maybe the other person was searching "I'm a cocaine addict and my mates dont know" so Facebook gave all their mates a link on how to spot it.
 
I guess it's whatever subject is topical at any given time. Hundreds of people are going forwards trying to claim that missing 33M lottery jackpot ticket. Today I received a spam email saying that I can claim that ticket, even though I didn't play the lotto that night. Social engineering and bluffing and all that.
 
Back
Top Bottom