Google Wants to Listen to Your TV to Place Ads

Posted on Jun 18, 2006

Illustration: Karen Spector (original here)

OK, now this is getting just downright creepy: Google has apparently tested a system that allows your computer to “listen” to your TV, recognize what program you’re watching, and then serve up ads related to that show.

Freaked out? Check out Truthdig contributor (and Google book author) Mark Malseed on Google and privacy.

BBC:

A system that lets your computer “listen” to your television to create targeted web adverts has been designed and tested by researchers at Google.

The “mass personalization” system can identify a programme from as little as five seconds of sound.

It then presents related information or adverts in the web browser.

Google researchers believe it could also be used to monitor audience size or create social networks around viewers watching the same show.

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