Conversation-Related Advertising and Electronic Eavesdropping: Mapping Perceptions of Phones Listening for Advertising in the United States, the Netherlands, and Poland

Abstract

People report receiving ads on their mobile device that are seemingly related to previous offline conversations (i.e., conversation-related advertising). They may think that this is because their electronic devices are eavesdropping (i.e., e-eavesdropping). To gain insights into the scope and characteristics of conversation-related advertising and e-eavesdropping beliefs, we conducted a survey in the United States ( n = 300), the Netherlands ( n = 293), and Poland ( n = 293). These countries were chosen based on their differences in privacy regulations and history with state surveillance. We find that belief in conversation-related advertising is a widespread cross-country phenomenon, which is higher in the United States compared with European countries. In addition, between half and two-thirds of respondents believe e-eavesdropping is a likely explanation for it. We find that social media is a main contributing factor through which people hear about and most often see conversation-related advertising. Moreover, in response to such advertising, respondents experience more negative than positive affect. The results show that this is a prevalent and timely phenomenon that warrants more research. This carries implications for the (social) media industry and regulators, as it highlights the importance of transparency and (insufficient) individual understanding of data collection and processing.