Topic: Is Google/WhatsApp/Facebook listening to our conversations for targeted ads?

[Kenny's Jacket]

He's talking about what comes up in the drop down 'suggestions' I think, not the top search results.

Yes,  i got as far as chemists open and it started suggesting placed in South Wales.  I was actually wanting to typing
"chemists open on Sunday" 

but yes they were suggestions that came up and not the search results.

[johnsmithlfc]

He's talking about what comes up in the drop down 'suggestions' I think, not the top search results.

Yeah that's what I got in suggestions as I typed 'chemist in'  and then the drop-down provided those suggestions.

[CraigDS]

Yeah that's what I got in suggestions as I typed 'chemist in'  and then the drop-down provided those suggestions.

Ah no worries, didn't realise the lists were that big 

[johnsmithlfc]

Just tried it on my phone and only got 4 suggestions but on laptop before I got all of those listed.

[redbyrdz]

I types "chemists open in" and get suggestions of "my area" "hull today" "gosports today" and "dundee today". I'd think that the top unspecific suggestions would then trigger a further internal call to get a more accurate location for the computer doing the search. It might also depend on what browser you're using and if you've got a profile (as in chrome) or are logged onto any google services... Google knows where I live roughly because maps opens up with a locations within 5 miles from me, but not even "Liverpool" came up in the search.

[Kenny's Jacket]

I types "chemists open in" and get suggestions of "my area" "hull today" "gosports today" and "dundee today". I'd think that the top unspecific suggestions would then trigger a further internal call to get a more accurate location for the computer doing the search. It might also depend on what browser you're using and if you've got a profile (as in chrome) or are logged onto any google services... Google knows where I live roughly because maps opens up with a locations within 5 miles from me, but not even "Liverpool" came up in the search.

I assume google knows where I live as i have the GPS turned on.  I live in Malaysia and Im staying in N Wales, so would have been unsurprised with either coming up, it just happened to give South Wales where the Dr and I were talking about at that moment. 

[Skidder.]

I assume google knows where I live as i have the GPS turned on.  I live in Malaysia and Im staying in N Wales, so would have been unsurprised with either coming up, it just happened to give South Wales where the Dr and I were talking about at that moment.

Could you give a little run-down of what exactly happened and when? (As in a timeline).

My girl is in Greece for a week and am wondering if there is something of similar ilk that we could try.

[BlackandWhitePaul]

I don't use Google.

I use this place to do my searches.

https://www.startpage.com

[capt k]

I don't use Google.

I use this place to do my searches.

https://www.startpage.com

I just clicked on that link, typed in a search a done on google 15 mins ago, and guess what, the links i clicked on 15 mins ago, where all shaded{as in already read}. so the term the "the worlds most private search engine" is a bit far fetched, especially when its "powered Enhanced by google"

[Elmo!]

I just clicked on that link, typed in a search a done on google 15 mins ago, and guess what, the links i clicked on 15 mins ago, where all shaded{as in already read}. so the term the "the worlds most private search engine" is a bit far fetched, especially when its "powered Enhanced by google"

That's nothing to do with the search engine, it's your browser recognising you've already been to that link.

[johnsmithlfc]

If you want an alternative search engine, I'd say this is pretty good.

https://duckduckgo.com/


You should also use ghostery, adblockplus and noscript as a minimum.

[Kenny's Jacket]

Could you give a little run-down of what exactly happened and when? (As in a timeline).

My girl is in Greece for a week and am wondering if there is something of similar ilk that we could try.

Apologies for the late reply. I read your post but wasn't sure how to respond.

I am not sure what you are asking me, at first I thought you were mocking me about believing in google eaves dropping, but then I noticed you are the one who started the thread. So it cant be that.

Let me know how I can help. 

[Titi Camara]

Let me know how I can help.

You can make him a hat out of tin foil

[Skidder.]

So after Titi gets off his Impish back - does anyone else want to hear the latest?

[CraigDS]

So after Titi gets off his Impish back - does anyone else want to hear the latest?

I already have, was listening to you chatting about it last night mate.

[Alan_X]

I already have, was listening to you chatting about it last night mate.

[Skidder.]

I already have, was listening to you chatting about it last night mate.

...tit..

[dave 5516]

I already have, was listening to you chatting about it last night mate.

[Titi Camara]

[johnsmithlfc]

So after Titi gets off his Impish back - does anyone else want to hear the latest?

Yes mate, I'm interested - go for it.

[Adeemo]

On a similar theme, I think I've somehow got "text enhance" advertising malware on Google Chrome, does anyone know the quickest way to get rid? I've tried looking in extensions to see if there's anything in there that I can disable but there's nothing unusual that I can see.

[Claire.]

Any use? https://productforums.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/chrome/wBCbBP4N_u4

[Kenny's Jacket]

So after Titi gets off his Impish back - does anyone else want to hear the latest?

Yeah go on, I'm all ears. 

[Skidder.]

I think I had best hold back giving it total texture - it involves my girlfriend and is fairly personal.

But, we we're talking on Monday about our plans for the future. A relevant issue came up in the conversation - few days later, a 'pop-up' offered us/her a solution.

My girlfriend sent me a screencap, utterly shocked - the subject is fairly personal and private to us - she hasn't searched on the subject (she has stated) and has only spoken to me about it.

[Packalacky]

If you want an alternative search engine, I'd say this is pretty good.

https://duckduckgo.com/


You should also use ghostery, adblockplus and noscript as a minimum.

Doing that is a good way to make sure sites you use often go bankrupt, especially if they heavily rely on ads.

[Titi Camara]

I think I had best hold back giving it total texture - it involves my girlfriend and is fairly personal.

But, we we're talking on Monday about our plans for the future. A relevant issue came up in the conversation - few days later, a 'pop-up' offered us/her a solution.

My girlfriend sent me a screencap, utterly shocked - the subject is fairly personal and private to us - she hasn't searched on the subject (she has stated) and has only spoken to me about it.

The love between a lady and a she-male can be a beautiful thing. I say go for it buddy

[johnsmithlfc]

Doing that is a good way to make sure sites you use often go bankrupt, especially if they heavily rely on ads.

If you trust the site then turn off ABP etc.
General web surfing, they're a must.

[Claire.]

I think I had best hold back giving it total texture - it involves my girlfriend and is fairly personal.

But, we we're talking on Monday about our plans for the future. A relevant issue came up in the conversation - few days later, a 'pop-up' offered us/her a solution.

My girlfriend sent me a screencap, utterly shocked - the subject is fairly personal and private to us - she hasn't searched on the subject (she has stated) and has only spoken to me about it.

Who wants to hear the latest?


Well you can't, it's personal, but they're definitely listening.

Do you realise how this sounds?

[Skidder.]

Who wants to hear the latest?


Well you can't, it's personal, but they're definitely listening.

Do you realise how this sounds?

No, I don't. But the personal nature of it leads me to further believe that some system, somewhere in the world - is cherry picking topics of our discussions.

[Skidder.]

The love between a lady and a she-male can be a beautiful thing. I say go for it buddy

Wait a minute... I'm getting it, I'm gettin..

No, it's gone, sorry dude...

[Packalacky]

If you trust the site then turn off ABP etc.
General web surfing, they're a must.

That's exactly what I do for websites I visit often, such as this one.

Telling people to block all ads isn't helpful though.

[johnsmithlfc]

That's exactly what I do for websites I visit often, such as this one.

Telling people to block all ads isn't helpful though.

True but the increasingly aggressive and invasive nature of ads means that you have to be vigilant.
I am happy to turn it off on sites that I visit and trust but if anything occurs that changes that trust, then it goes back on.
Noscript is great because the amount of times hijacking or random scripts try loading etc, it's very useful.

To each their own mate but I'd rather be tooled up and not need it, than under protected.

[SP]

Personally I prefer not to use Adblock, and just don't use any site that is that aggressive with ads.

[Alan_X]

I think I had best hold back giving it total texture - it involves my girlfriend and is fairly personal.

But, we we're talking on Monday about our plans for the future. A relevant issue came up in the conversation - few days later, a 'pop-up' offered us/her a solution.

My girlfriend sent me a screencap, utterly shocked - the subject is fairly personal and private to us - she hasn't searched on the subject (she has stated) and has only spoken to me about it.

Why are they selecting you and your girlfriend for this? The only ads I get are for things I've searched for or bought on line. Absolutely nothing whatsoever related to the things I discuss with friends, at work or my other half. 

And if you really believe this nonsense (sorry but it's nonsense) then stop discussing personal things with your girlfriend in front of the computer. And just shout random shite at the microphone to fuck them up.

If someone's got some real evidence that this is actually a thing rather than some conspiracy shite off Reddit feel free to post in the next twenty-four hours. Otherwise it's locked.

There are real security and privacy issues that we need to guard against. There is no point getting our collective knickers in a twist over something like this, which even if it was true, would show up Google and the big corporations as massively incompetent fuckwits.

Example - I need a local pharmacy...

Google suggestion - put up an advert for a pharmacy 200 miles away because of a random comment by someone who isn't even the owner of the computer...

Brilliant.

[Alan_X]

OK - here's something interesting. My girlfriend's father is getting on and we were talking about her and her brother sorting out mobility aids for his house. He has problems using the stairs and I've said a few times that he needs a chair lift like my parents have. However we've only ever spoken about it and I've never searched for domestic chair lifts as far as I can remember.

This morning I clicked on a link in the 'audio/video' thread and at the bottom was a suggestion for 'stair lifts in Hatfield'.

Wow, I thought. Maybe Kidder's on to something.

So I looked back through my internet history and three days ago we were looking at platform lifts for wheelchair access - completely different from domestic chair lifts.

There's a company I've used in the past that do a really nice lift that has retractable stairs and to show my colleague their website I had typed in 'Sesame (name of the company) + stair + lift' and it had brought up a link to the company's site.

I typed in the same search terms this morning and the company was there but what I clearly hadn't noticed the other day (because I wasn't interested at the time) was that the top four results were sponsored ads for Stannah Stairlifts, Allfix Stairlifts, Acorn Stairlifts and Newbury Mobility (stairlifts from £895).

And interestingly when I just clicked on the link in the audio/video thread a few times, a different set of sponsored links came up each time. No stairlift links and all the ads were for things that I have no interest in except for one product that I searched for the other day and comes up on every webpage with ads.

[BER]

What is the top search suggestions if you search for 'similar films'?

[johnsmithlfc]

What is the top search suggestions if you search for 'similar films'?

The Duff
Gone Girl
Love Rosie


I'm on my phone so only get a few suggestions.

[Party Phil]

The Duff
Gone Girl
Love Rosie


I'm on my phone so only get a few suggestions.

Same 3 + Love Actually. Out of those the only one I've seen (and probably searched for many months ago) is Gone Girl.

[CraigDS]

The Duff, Gone Girl and Maze Runner. The latter of which I searched for earlier today.

[BER]

Okay, just coincidence then, was talking about films similar to Gone Girl then did a search and that came up first.