More than 250 games on the Google Play Store were found using software from Alphonso Corp. Although the company said it did not record human speech, it could collect what people were watching by identifying the TV commercials and the audio signals in the show, Sell to advertisers for analysis, and improve the accuracy of ad targeting.
Some applications that use the software do not reveal the fact that these facts are hidden in the application description, in which the user is required to click the 'Read More' button first, and this is rarely done .
Ashish Chordia, the company's chief executive, said his company also works with Hollywood studios to analyze people's viewing habits on the big screen, saying: 'A lot of people turn off their cell phones, but a few of them do not. From this small group we can see the shows or movies people are watching.
While many games are available in Google's stores, some are also found in Apple's App Store, most of which do not use microphones and monitor the sound of users around even when the microphone is off. One is for children, and Alphonso did not admit it.
Chordia believes that this is in line with the FTC guidelines and that 'consumers can opt out at any time.'