Cox Media Group Will Pay $880,000 To Settle FTC Ad-Tech Case.

FTC finalizes settlement with Cox Media over AI-based advertising product

The logo of Cox Media Group. (Courtesy logo, Graphic by The Desk) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week finalized a settlement with Cox Media Group (CMG) over an advertising product regulators said falsely claimed to use artificial intelligence and smart-device conversations to identify potential customers. The FTC voted 2-0 to approve the consent agreement with CMG, locking in an $880,000 payment by the radio and TV broadcaster. The agen…

Cox Media Group Will Pay $880,000 To Settle FTC Ad-Tech Case.

The FTC has finalized its case against Cox Media Group over an “Active Listening” ad product that regulators say falsely claimed to use AI and smart-device conversations to target consumers. CMG admits no wrongdoing as part of its deal with…

The FTC’s Latest AI Crackdown: Why ‘Active Listening’ Was Just a Marketing Mirage

The fear of the digital panopticon-the idea that our smart devices are constantly eavesdropping on our private conversations to serve us hyper-targeted ads-has long been a staple of modern tech anxiety. On August 27, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized consent orders against Cox Media Group (CMG), MindSift LLC, and 1010 Digital Works LLC, […]

FTC Finalizes Enforcement Over Voice Data Claims Against Cox Media Group

The FTC said Thursday that it finalized orders involving allegations that Cox Media Group and two marketing companies falsely claimed to offer AI services that could "target localized ads" based on consumer voice data collected without consent. The $930,000 settlement...

CMG Makes Payment To Settle FTC False Advertising Claims

Cox Media Group and two marketing partners have reached a resolution with federal regulators over an ad-targeting service pitched as artificial intelligence capable of listening in on consumers' smart devices that the FTC said never actually existed.

FTC, CMG Settle ‘Active Listening’ Customer Dupe Claims

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday finalized orders requiring radio and television station owner Cox Media Group (CMG) and two other firms to pay a total of $930,000 to settle allegations they deceived customers by falsely claiming to offer an AI-powered service that could target localized ads based on conversations captured from consumers’ smart devices and that consumers had opted into such targeting. In three separate…