Android Security News: Mobile Gaming Apps Found Using Microphone to Learn of Users' TV Viewing Preferences
A number of mobile gaming apps on Android are reportedly learning of users' TV show preferences by using their smartphones' microphones.
Mobile games such as "Pool 3D," "Honey Quest," "Beer Pong: Trickshot," "Real Bowling Strike 10 Pin" and more are reportedly working in the background and listening in on a person's viewing habits even when the apps are inactive, according to the New York Times.
The report added that this scheme was made possible through a software developed by Alphonso -- a startup company focused on gathering data on people's TV viewing preferences which are essential pieces of knowledge for advertisers.
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Alphonso's software does its job by determining which TV shows or ads are playing in the user's surroundings. The program is also reportedly able to recognize audio even when a smartphone is hidden in one's pocket.
The New York Times added that the data collected through audio are "sometimes" compared to the user's visited locations while its end goal is to show people more specific ads based on some of their recent movements.
As a response to the report, Alphonso chief executive Ashish Chordia told the New York Times that their methods were actually in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines. They argued that they had provided notifications on the apps' use of the microphone plus a way to stop this function in a set of instructions on their website.
In a screenshot from the game "Honey Quest," a notification that asked the user for permission for the app to use their device's microphone can be seen. It read: "This app uses audio to detect TV ads and content and shows appropriate mobile ads."
When an Android user searches for the phrase "Alphonso automated" on Google Play, they can find up to 250 mobile gaming apps that use the said software. Noticeably, many apps in the search results are titles that appeal to young players (something that was not deliberate, according to Alphonso) and do not even require the use of the microphone in its gameplay.
On the other hand, Alphonso reiterated that its software was not capable of recording human speech.
