A new privacy-busting technique that tracks consumers through the use of ultrasonic tones may have once sounded like the stuff of science fiction novels, but today it’s reality. These near-silent tones can’t be picked up by the human ear, but there are apps in your phone that are always listening for them. This technology is called ultrasonic cross-device tracking, and it works by emitting high-frequency tones in advertisements and billboards, web pages, and across brick-and-mortar retail outlets or sports stadiums. Apps with access to your phone’s microphone can pick up these tones and build up a profile about what you’ve seen, where, and in some cases even the websites you’ve visited. The technology is still in its infancy, but it’s growing in popularity.
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ORIGINAL SOURCE: ZDNet
