FTC: 'Creepy' listening tool for ads was fake

Three companies are paying nearly $1 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that they sold deceptive "Active Listening" technology. The firms falsely claimed their product could access users' phone audio for targeted advertising purposes. However, the FTC found that the technology was essentially just an expensive compilation of email lists, lacking any actual phone-tapping capabilities. This action highlights the FTC's ongoing scrutiny of deceptive marketing practices in the advertising technology sector.