Android listening in on your calls

FatCat0

New member
Feb 4, 2014
4
0
0
Visit site
Someone brought this up in the S4 forum (http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s4/311858-google-now-monitoring-my-phone-calls.html), which I ran across while googling this issue. I didn't start that thread so I don't think this is technically cross posting, but in any case I wanted to hear from more people about this.

So basically it seems that at least some Android phones are listening and interpreting what is said during phone calls. People have said that they would hear about a restaurant from a friend on the phone, and then cards for that restaurant would show up in google now. Or advertisements would start to show up in google ad services. Or in my case, I got an address over the phone, wrote it down on paper, went to google maps and typed the first two numbers of the address (the street number of the address was four numbers long) before the first suggested address popped up and lo-and-behold it was what I was going to type. This was moderately convenient I suppose, but it seems that people are largely unaware that Android does this (if you look at that other thread it is mostly people suggesting how the TC probably did enter relevant information into google somehow).

Has anyone else noticed this behavior? Is it somewhere in some permission that I don't remember accepting, or in the general TOU of the OS?

I'm on a Verizon Note 3, for reference.

ETA: My main concern isn't really THAT Android does this. Like I said, it can be convenient, and I already ignore pretty much all advertisement without even having to think about it at this point so targeted ads don't bother me so much (though there was one instance where someone suspected they started getting spam emails via this method, which sounds annoying). I am more worried that I don't know where ELSE and how ELSE this information is going/being used.
 

FatCat0

New member
Feb 4, 2014
4
0
0
Visit site
A bunch of people looked at this but no one responded, so I want to give it a little poke. At this point I am fairly certain that some voice recognition is being done during phone calls. I'm still not certain how I feel about that.
 

anon8380037

Well-known member
Dec 25, 2013
5,171
0
0
Visit site
I wouldn't be too surprised. Maybe they're trialling it in some places. All those Google and app permissions and all.

No I haven't come across it myself, but my lifestyle is a little restricted, recently anyway.

Logically they couldn't man listening posts so yes has to be software.
It would be a gross invasion open to a class action presumably.

Interested in other opinions for sure.
Though I think like you I'm not paranoid about it, yet.

At present, for me, the negatives outweigh the benefits. I stopped updating chrome when they asked too many permissions, harmless though they may have been.

An extension of Google Now possibly.


*I edit a lot*
"All in the Best Possible Taste" via my Note 3 on AC's app
 
Last edited:

troshs

Trusted Member
Jul 6, 2013
713
0
0
Visit site
All I can say is, with all the other bulls*** going on in the way of privacy in this country, and Google being part of it, I am not surprised.

Sent from my S4 to you via Tapatalk ON KITKAT 4.4 (Finally!) 🍫
 

robert_in_la

Active member
Feb 24, 2011
35
0
0
Visit site
I wondering if its some operated system scanning calls... much in the same way Gmail scans your emails looking for specific words, etc. to then hit you up with targeted adds.

Google has commented about scanning emails and claims that it does not know the contents of the email. However when I found that out I did notice the ads off to the right side margins, and Google's response, which truthfully bothered me to the point that I no longer use my Gmail account - I use exchange now.
 

mclasser

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2011
121
2
0
Visit site
Wouldn't be surprised if Android listens in. Pretty freaky if it does.

Sent from my Nexus 5 via Android Central App
 

MDMcAtee

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2014
1,506
0
0
Visit site
Wouldn't be surprised if Android listens in. Pretty freaky if it does.

Sent from my Nexus 5 via Android Central App

I'm pretty sure it listens,but I believe you have to give permission for it to work....isn't that what it does with saying okay Google?

Posted via Android Central App on my HTC M8
 

Forum statistics

Threads
943,150
Messages
6,917,531
Members
3,158,850
Latest member
kerokekerol