Your smartphone knows when you're sad before your friends do - and advertisers are paying attention.

 

 

 

 

Your smartphone knows when you're sad before your friends do - and advertisers are paying attention.

That perfectly-timed ad for comfort food that appears when you're feeling down? It might not be coincidence. Companies like ALFI and Affectiva now use AI to analyze your micro-expressions through your device's camera, gauging whether you're happy, frustrated, or surprised in real-time.

 

This emotional data harvesting represents the next frontier in personalized advertising. While you scroll through your feed or play a game, your reactions can be catalogued for marketing purposes. Some platforms even transition between different ads based on your detected emotional state.

 

Think about it - your phone sees your face more than most people do. Every frown, smile, and look of confusion potentially becomes valuable data that helps determine which products might appeal to you in specific emotional moments.

 

Next time an app asks for camera access, remember - it might be studying your expressions more carefully than you realize. While some companies claim they don't store personal data, the privacy and ethical concerns remain significant.