In the age of always-connected smartphones, the phone listening phenomenon has become one of the most persistent digital mysteries. You casually mention a product in conversation—maybe a new carrot peeler with your spouse or a dream trip to New York—and within minutes or hours, hyper-specific ads flood your TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook feed. It feels like phone listening is happening in real time, with targeted advertising algorithms predicting your desires before you even search. But is it true? A recent CBS News investigation titled “Is your phone listening to you?” (April 12, 2026) dives deep into this exact question, and…