[armada651]

They're probably not doing it through smartphones, since the leaked slide deck never actually directly mentions the devices they're using to listen in on people only stating they're "smart devices": https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25051283-cmg-pitch-d...

It is much more likely they're listening in using the microphones in smart TVs, which have much weaker privacy protections. This would also make sense since Cox Media Group is a broadcaster, thus they're much more likely to have broad access to data from smart TVs than from smartphones.

[bsmartt]

Just so we're all clear, the question about facebook and phones specifically is not new..

2016: https://qz.com/697923/heres-how-to-stop-facebook-from-listen... https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/facebook-using-people-s-p...

2018: https://money.com/how-to-turn-off-phone-microphone-facebook-...

2019: https://newatlas.com/computers/facebook-not-secretly-listeni...

[armada651]

None of those articles provide evidence and the last article mentions how difficult it would be to hide such activity on a smartphone due to power and data constraints. A smart TV has none of those issues.

[trustno2]

This makes way more sense.

[tjpnz]

So AdGuard DNS to the rescue?

[mananaysiempre]

Firewalled LAN segments with no internet access, rather.

[HenryBemis]

I have been using NoRoot Firewall since my day1 with Android. It takes some times but I allow the least amount of rules per app, then block . per app, and block globally the ones I identify (trackers etc.)

I also block 31... range globally and the FB and FBCDN addresses (namely)(but I don't use FB/IG/WA anyway)

[nulltxt]

Which one? Do you have a link, I'd like to try setting it up for myself

[bsmartt]

google search that badboy, my man

[madeofpalk]

or just don't connect devices with lax security or privacy to the internet.