While the technology is now somewhat accessible (as of 2019 in both cases you mention), this conspiracy theory dates back nearly to the introduction of smartphones. I have heard it as early as 2011.

A number of other anecdotal experiments, such as one performed by myself, failed to show this behavior. A more tightly controlled but still informal experiment by a vaguely related security firm failed to find this behavior[1]. An academic effort by researchers at Northwestern failed to find this behavior [2]. This is by far the most thorough academic effort on the topic I have seen.

Facebook has clearly denied it [3]. Google has not issued such a clear statement but has been reasonably open about changes in their policy on voice data [4]. After considering the issue from several angles, P. J. Vogt concluded that no such thing happens [5]. Even the paper you cite notes the total lack of evidence.

Perhaps most notably, almost all of the popular media reporting that bears headlines saying that your phone is listening to your conversations, actually say no such thing when you read the article. Instead they are talking about analytics on voice assistant activations and, frequently, voice memos in Facebook Messenger. Amusingly I've run into two cases where popular press had to issue retractions or corrections after they said that smartphones were always-listening.

The only serious sources I have ever seen assert that this is happening are Vice's Sam Nichols based on Dr. Henway. Henway makes some very specific claims to two different reporters but provides no explanation of how he came to that knowledge. To an almost comical extent, nearly all reporting in favor of this theory (that even claims to have a source) is based around the exact same quote from Henway, who has never published anything formal on the matter or even really elaborated beyond a single paragraph. Nichols only performs a very basic experiment and it is easy to come up with other ways he may have gotten the result he did - in fact, the experiment he performs is nearly identical to the ones performed by others that have failed to show results.

Look, I'm not totally unreceptive to the idea that this is happening, but I don't like people repeating the assertion-as-fact that it is a widespread behavior when major tech companies that have denied it, and no real evidence has ever been amassed to show that it does happen.

Just my opinion, but... well, just all of our opinions. Let's be careful about calling them facts.

[1] https://www.wandera.com/phone-listening/ [2] https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_events/141... [3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2017/10/31/faceboo... [4] https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/5/21354805/google-email-audi... [5] https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/z3hlwr

> A friend and I were sitting at a bar, iPhones in pockets, discussing our recent trips in Japan and how we’d like to go back. The very next day, we both received pop-up ads on Facebook about cheap return flights to Tokyo.

> A private conversation with a friend about how I’d run out of data led to an ad about cheap 20 GB data plans

> Suddenly I was being told [sic] mid-semester courses at various universities

I absolutely belive Facebook can find system information like data caps, or can read notifications (as they explicitly ask for this to auto-fill SMS-based 2FA logins). As far as being in the same location as your buddy you took a trip with, that's a lack of imagination on the advertisers part - you get ads to return to Japan the same way you get ads for the vacuum you just. bought. As far as the writer possibly going back to school? I'd say many writers enjoy writing - so many, in fact, that prices have been depressed for decades. I'd assume many writers have to return to school and change careers.

Is it possible Facebook is listening? I won't dismiss it without at least reading the article. But the linked article reads like the author believes people are unique and, while they are, they're also far more predicatable than we like to pretend.