‘Big tech’ spy fears

Social media’s collection of personal data scares consumers

THE official inquiry into the impact of Facebook and Google has revealed hardly any consumers know how their data is shared and that an overwhelming majority are scared about the surreptitious collection of personal information.

The worry in the community is not only widespread but in some cases intense, with people sharing fears that tech giants are secretly listening to what’s happening in their homes.

The findings emerge from a voluntary survey of the public by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission which was released yesterday and showed less than 7 per cent of consumers felt confident they understood how their data was shared; 83 per cent were worried about how their information was being collected.

Some survey respondents told the ACCC they suspected microphones on their devices had been used to eavesdrop.

“I have noticed ads in my feeds for things that I have only spoken about and have fears about Instagram accessing my microphone,” one respondent said. Instagram is owned by Facebook.

Another said: “I have had the TV showing a segment on a news site playing and then open Facebook and refresh the feed to see that exact article/ clip at the top. I fear the cookies being used ... also listen via (the) mics built in to devices to show content.”

These concerns are apparently unfounded – Google and Facebook say they don’t listen in.

In recent testimony before the US Congress over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg denied the company uses audio to enrich the data it has about users.

“You’re talking about this conspiracy theory that gets passed around, that we listen to what’s going on on your microphone and we use that for ads,” he said. “We don’t do that.”

The eavesdropping suspicions are part of a broader theme within the feedback: that “big tech” is spying on users.