Google Eavesdropping On You

In the Register: Google developing eavesdropping software, we see the suggestion that Google is going to hijack the microphone on your computer, listen to what TV show you are watching in the other room, and serve you customised ads.

The idea appeared in Technology Review citing Peter Norvig, director of research at Google, who says these ideas will show up eventually in real Google products - sooner rather than later.

The idea is to use the existing PC microphone to listen to whatever is heard in the background, be it music, your phone going off or the TV turned down. The PC then identifies it, using fingerprinting, and then shows you relevant content, whether that's adverts or search results, or a chat room on the subject.

As a result, we now have a heated discussion at DSL Reports News Forum: Google Using Your Mic to Listen In?

Looks like Google the Good is turning into Google the spy. Can George Orwell's 1984 nightmare world be far off if Google continues to expand their tentacles into the home. LOL, and people worry about the NSA and AT&T. So look at who the real threat may be.

And a really fun subthread

• Personally, I'd start saying really suspicious things, like airliner, bomb, death to America, etc... and see what happens.
  
• The TSA/FBI will be at your door and you can watch what happens on CNN from jail.
  
• This is Google, not NSA. You will start getting ads for fertilizer, fuel oil, detonators, terrorist training, legal services.

LOL.