For a few years now, rumours have circulated among Instagram users that the app must be listening to private conversations in order to target advertisements. There are hundreds of reports from people who claim they have been talking with friends when all of a sudden, an advertisement for a related product appears in their feed.
Because these occurrences are so accurate (and spooky), many users are suspicious that Instagram is recording and analysing their conversations. And the fact that Instagram has access to their smartphone’s microphone means that the app could actually make covert recordings.
Nothing to worry about. Maybe.
In a recent interview with CBS news, Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri was clear – the app does not listen to your conversations. Instead he proposed two reasons why we see ads related to conversations we’ve just had.
First, Mosseri suggested ‘dumb luck’ – ads that are highly relevant and which just happen to be shown to us at the right moment. The second was slightly more complicated: ‘You might be talking about something because it’s top of mind because you’ve been interacting with that type of content more recently. It’s top of mind, maybe it’s subconscious and then it bubbles up later.’
A more likely reason
There is a third – and even more likely reason – however. Instagram and Facebook both use extensive data mining algorithms to generate an incredibly detailed and accurate understanding of you as a person.
These services know where you live, how much you earn, your political and sexual preferences, who your friends are and your likes and dislikes for instance. All of these details are collected based on what you share online and the type of content you interact with – including on other websites.
These algorithms then try to display adverts that are most relevant to you at a specific moment in time. It is very likely that your conversations relate to content you have seen online, and because Instagram knows what you have read/watched recently, it displays an advert related to that subject.
Mosseri knows that many people are shocked by how much Instagram knows about them and how invasive the data mining algorithms are – which is why his proposed explanation for ‘spooky ads’ is so vague.
How to protect yourself
The only definite way to protect yourself against spooky, invasive ads is to avoid social media altogether – but for most of us that’s not an option. You can take steps to better protect your privacy however – we’ve produced an easy-to-use guide to walk you through the process.
So even if Instagram isn’t listening to your conversations, their ad targeting mechanism is probably a lot more creepy than you realise.
Panda Security specializes in the development of endpoint security products and is part of the WatchGuard portfolio of IT security solutions. Initially focused on the development of antivirus software, the company has since expanded its line of business to advanced cyber-security services with technology for preventing cyber-crime.
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17 comments
They 10000% are listening. Say a few keywords and I guarantee you will see an ad for it. I just said I need new shoes, lifting shoes, gym shoes,” then I opened Instagram and the first thing that popped up was an ad for adidas shoes. They are listening. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing though. They’re helping you get products that are actually relevant.
They are listening to it 100000%. My friend and I spoke about sustainable condoms (The most unrelated topic anyone will talk about) and the next day my friend who didn’t even search her phone for sustainable condoms got an ad from instagram. This is not safe.
That’s why you should use a condom
There’s no doubt in my mind that Instagram is tapping into the iPhone microphone to target advertisements based on private conversations. On two occasions, Instagram put advertisements of very random products (a rowing machine and a needle point belt) within 24 hours of having a private casual conversation.
Of coarse they are going to say they are not listening… Just went to friends house and saw they had a special inverted excersise machine. Used it and talked to them about it for about 3 to 5 min. 60 min later I open Instagram at home and there is an ad for the exact model of something I just saw for the first time in my life……. They will deny they are listening untill there is proof…
I use android and i have even turned the microphone off under app permissions but its still somehow listening.
Yesterday in the work van my boss asked me if i have ever been to john pye auctions, i said no because the 40% you have to add on is too expensive.
Today just like magic, an ad for john pye auctions !
I have never in my life searched for it, and i do not have Facebook.
This is just a big lie !!! Any thing I talk about with my family and friends i “OUTOFBOWHERE” opens instagram and see the exacte thing I talked about! I was talking using Instsgram calls about the 100 love necklace which I did not search for at all and after 30 min opening my Acc and I found the same necklace with the exact color and details !!!
I got a text message from an unknown number, telling me one of my close friends had sadly passed away, along with funeral details.
My wife asked me where it would be, I told her, then 24 hours later I was receiving estate agent ads for that very place. I had never even heard of it before that text message!
Sure there is some kind of data protection law being broken here.
There have been entirely too many instances that I will have a private conversation and an ad appears. No data collection in reference to location, as these talked about things were not even close to where we are. My Mother-In-Law was in the car with me yesterday and we were not even close to a Hardee’s. We talked about how we used to eat biscuits and gravy there years ago. No one looked anything up. No one posted to social media. No Hardee’s was even around within several miles. Sure enough, a Hardee’s ad appeared. Never before had a Hardee’s ad appeared. This is no less than the 5th instance where a private conversation, with no one around has ended up on Instagram. No amount of data mining or algorithms can produce these ads when there is NO place around that sells these items, no social media posts or google lookups. Have to be listening. Pure and simple.
They’re definitely listening. I spent the day with my bf while he played Elder Scrolls. No ones ever played it around me, I’ve never mentioned it, never even looked it up. No mention of the game whatsoever the whole time he played. The only thing that could have given it away was whatever dialogue was in the game. Yet, I get an ad for it after I leave his place. How did they know?
They absolutely are listening!! I always thought it was ridiculous that people believed this until yesterday. I have zero interest in baseball. I have never watched a professional baseball game and I couldn’t even tell you the name of a team other than the blue jays. Yesterday a friend of mine was saying while we were in a car together that her signature looks kinda like the LA Dodgers emblem. Literally a couple hours later I was flipping through Instagram and I was being shown ads for LA Dodgers gear like sweaters. I could not believe it. There is not way I googled anything about baseball or have any Interests that would make it seem like I would like and LA Dodgers sweater. In fact I didn’t even know the dodgers played baseball Til I saw the ad and then had to look it up. It’s enough for me to delete the app. They are 100% lying to say that the app does not listen to our conversations!!
This has happened to me so many times before as well. It just happened now, after the most random conversation at work, in Dutch. We were talking about braces and transparent retainers. I mean….that is not a general topic; this is super specific. 5 minutes after lunch I got a targeted ad for this, in Dutch, from the company “Invisalign” on Instagram.
It also happened once when I epilated my legs. I literally never do this, like once a year or less. That day I got a targeted ad on Instagram for an epilator.
This is really freaky.
I know what you mean, Mine was even more specific. I was helping my friend with his laptop and when I noticed his laptop bag I commented on how nice it was and how I loved the orange fabric. Then 2 days later the EXACT model of backpack right down to the orange fabric pops up for sale on my facebook. And to dismiss any links from him buying it so maybe I got linked that way, nope. He was given it as a gift by a friend I have never met and don’t even know their name….
Of course they are listening. One ad out of the blue might be a freaky coincidence but two or three based on arcane conversation topics appearing moments after the conversation ends? The exact obscure products?
They are trying to gaslight us when they say it’s just our imaginations or coincidences. Spy culture.
Probably this stupid article is a paid article by the social media mafia , Facebook , meta and Instagram and WhatsApp .. my coworker was randomly talking about her back pain for 10 min , and once I dropped her home and drove to my place , I started scrolling on Instagram , for the first time ever after 5 years I saw chiropractor advertising…. Instagram 1000000000000% listens to your every convo without your iPhone even notices
I found this article to be really informative and reassuring. The idea of Instagram listening to our conversations has been a topic of concern for many users, and it’s great to see some clarity on the matter.
Privacy in the digital age is a hot topic, and it’s crucial to separate fact from fiction. The explanation provided here about how Instagram and other apps use targeted advertising based on user activity and interests makes a lot of sense. It’s more about algorithms and user behavior analysis than actually eavesdropping on conversations.
However, it’s still essential for users to be vigilant about their privacy settings and permissions. It’s reassuring to know that Instagram claims not to be listening to our conversations, but we should always be cautious and proactive in safeguarding our personal information.
I appreciate the research and insights shared in this article. It’s a good reminder that while social media platforms may collect data to improve user experiences and for advertising purposes, there are measures in place to protect user privacy. It’s up to us as users to stay informed and make smart choices when it comes to sharing information online.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that if you’re concerned about your Instagram story privacy, you can explore tools like “Instagram Story Anonymous” at storysnooper.com to enhance your control over who views your stories and maintain a higher level of anonymity. Thank you for shedding light on this topic, Panda Security!
Por supuesto que están escuchando. Un anuncio inesperado puede ser una extraña coincidencia, pero ¿dos o tres basados en temas de conversación arcanos aparecen momentos después de que termina la conversación? ¿Los productos exactamente oscuros?
Están tratando de engañarnos cuando dicen que son solo nuestra imaginación o coincidencias. Cultura del espía.