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VoIP + Eavesdropping = New Business Model
September 28, 2007

A new Web site is promising free calls, provided they can listen in.

Pudding Media’s Web site is a beta version of technology the company hopes to offer up to mobile carriers, VoIP phone companies and Web publishers. Software monitors your conversation, looking for keywords which, when spoken, will trigger relevant advertising to pop up on screen. It also uses certain demographic information you provide — gender, age range, and zip code — to ensure relevancy.

In their FAQ page, the company takes pains to note that it’s not actually spying on you. Calls are not recorded and can’t be reconstructed from keywords, nor are any actual humans listening in on the call. It’s all done by software.

Feel better?


Posted by Greg Scoblete on September 28, 2007 | Comments (2)


October 1, 2007
In response to: VoIP + Eavesdropping = New Business Model
Christor Hanstrom commented:

If the computer is "listening" for key words in order to pop up ads, what's to stop it from listening for key words & notifying Homeland Security? This is quite a slippery slope, in my opinion. I could see the government pressuring companies like this to provide key word data as a way to identify "terrorists." If the computer is only identifying key words taken out of context from the original conversation, then simply saying, "Hi, Jack. You da bomb!" to my best friend could land me on a terrorist watch list!




October 4, 2007
In response to: VoIP + Eavesdropping = New Business Model
Greg Scoblete commented:

"If the computer is "listening" for key words in order to pop up ads, what's to stop it from listening for key words & notifying Homeland Security?" My guess? Nothing. Well, laws, technically.





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