Marketer that claimed it could tap devices for ad targeting will pay $880K settlement

CMG and two smaller marketing companies (MindSift LLC and 1010 Digital Works LLC) misled customers by advertising an AI-powered "Active Listening" service that claimed to use snippets from smart home device conversations for geographically-targeted ads. In reality, the companies were selling email address lists purchased from data brokers at a significant markup , and CMG will pay $880,000 of a $930,000 total settlement with funds used to compensate affected customers.

Source: Ars Technica | 2026-05-22