As someone who values quiet surroundings, the invasive and unwelcome noise of advertisements overriding the silence setting on my phone is a regular frustration. Time and time again, regardless if I'm in a meeting, library, or simply enjoying a moment of peace, an ad in an app disrupts my peaceful life because it overrides the silent setting on my phone.

This goes beyond mere annoyance. This is a significant invasion of privacy, affecting me and millions of other smartphone users across the globe. It should not be permissible for apps to control our personal volume settings and disturb our peace without our consent, particularly when intrusive advertisements are involved.

According to eMarketer, in 2020, adults in the US spent an average of 3 hours and 49 minutes on their smartphones daily. With the incessant deluge of ads, the potential for intrusive noise is vast. At least 80% of smartphone users have experienced advertisement intrusions that tamper with their phone's volume settings according to a survey done by Survata.

Given that Android and iOS platforms combined are used by nearly 99% of smartphone users globally (Statista, 2021), we urgently call for legislative action to prohibit apps from overriding user volume controls. End users should always have control of their device volume, especially when it comes to unsolicited advertisements. It's time to say no loud and clear to enforced noise from invasive ads. Sign this petition to let tech giants Google and Apple know that it is time to prioritize user privacy and experience!