Our Phones are Listening to Us

This is going to sound like conspiracy theory, but it isn’t.  These are things which happened to us.

A few weeks ago, Perran and Carenza joined us for a staycation.

“It’s so lovely to have you here,” I gushed.  “I’m having a wonderful time.”

From my pocket, a female voice said, “I’m glad to hear that.”

Later, Nigel was saying, “I must change my ringtone – Perran hates this one.” (‘Popcorn’ – if you’re wondering.)  Next time his phone rang, he didn’t pick it up at once, because he didn’t recognise the ringtone – it had been changed.

Our suspicions first started after we spotted a red squirrel while on holiday and spent a while watching and discussing it.  Afterwards, Nigel’s phone began offering him news items relating to red squirrels.

Another watershed moment was when I was driving to Kew Gardens using Google Maps on my phone.  I was listening to a Radio 4 play the final words of which were ‘It is finished.  I have arrived.’

Google Maps immediately switched itself off.  Which was annoying as I was just approaching a complicated roundabout.

It makes you wonder how much information these talking-and-listening devices have picked up and transmitted and to whom.  Are we effectively bugging ourselves?

My only comfort is imagining somebody in China or Russia scratching their head as they try to understand Nigel’s pun-based jokes.  I’m not sure I understand them myself.