[VOIPSEC] Company Will Monitor Phone Calls to Tailor Ads

[gary madsen]

Scary:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/business/media/24adcol.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

"Pudding Media, a start-up based in San Jose, Calif., is introducing
an Internet phone service today that will be supported by advertising
related to what people are talking about in their calls. The Web-based
phone service is similar to Skype's online service — consumers plug a
headset and a microphone into their computers, dial any phone number
and chat away. But unlike Internet phone services that charge by the
length of the calls, Pudding Media offers calling without any toll
charges.

The trade-off is that Pudding Media is eavesdropping on phone calls in
order to display ads on the screen that are related to the
conversation. Voice recognition software monitors the calls, selects
ads based on what it hears and pushes the ads to the subscriber's
computer screen while he or she is still talking."


Cheers,
Gary