LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman. Winner 2013 Webby Awards for Best Political Website
May 25, 2013

 Choose a size
Text Size

Trending:     chris hedges     economy     elizabeth warren     politics     robert scheer
Most Read

Three Questions Left Unanswered by Obama’s Counterterrorism Speech

Colbert Slams PBS for Appeasing Koch Brothers

'Left, Right & Center': Obama Ends the War on Terror

How to Make a Million Dollars an Hour

Marching in Chicago: Resisting Rahm Emanuel’s Neoliberal Savagery

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports
New York City’s Summers May Heat Up

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture
A Call to Action
Act of Congress

Digs

Truthdig Bazaar
Kolyma Tales

Kolyma Tales

By Varlam Shalamov; John Glad (Translator)

more items

 
Ear to the Ground

Google Wants to Listen to Your TV to Place Ads

Email this item Email    Print this item Print    Share this item... Share

Posted on Jun 18, 2006
Google and privacy
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.

Link

More Below the Ad

Advertisement


New and Improved Comments

If you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy.

By Morley Young, June 19, 2006 at 12:42 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Is this the same Google that lies down and rolls over when the government wants their files? Brrr!

Report this

By G. Anderson, June 18, 2006 at 11:05 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Since there are only a few shows worth watching during any given week, this will turn out to be a waste of time and effort.

Report this

By cg, June 18, 2006 at 12:20 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

This is truly frightening.
If they can listen to what you are watching on TV, what is to stop them or someone else from listening to you and what you are saying in the privacy of your own home. 
Could this be the first steps toward the “Telescreen”?

Report this
Newsletter

sign up to get updates


 
 
 
 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
© 2013 Truthdig, LLC. All rights reserved.