Hundreds of Apps Secretly Spying on Users Through Their Microphones
2025-04-27
Hundreds of smartphone apps and games are monitoring users via their microphones, even when phones are in pockets or apps run in the background. A startup called Alphonso provides the technology, collecting TV viewing data and selling it to advertisers. While Alphonso claims it doesn't record conversations, only identifying commercial audio, privacy concerns remain. Users can protect themselves by denying microphone access to unnecessary apps.