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

[cloggypop]

https://arstechnica.com/business/2017/05/facebook-helped-advertisers-target-teens-who-feel-worthless/

[CraigDS]

https://arstechnica.com/business/2017/05/facebook-helped-advertisers-target-teens-who-feel-worthless/

Not really anything new, and also not really anything to do with them listening into chat outside of FB.

[LanceLink!!!!!]

Few weeks back, I'd been chopping onions in the kitchen and had watery eyes, had a 2 minute conversation with wife and child about onions and why they make you cry when you chop them.

10 minutes later, an article appeared within an ad banner on a website about onions making you cry, the iPad was in the kitchen for the duration of the conversation.

Bit fucking weird.

[Skidder.]

That what is happening?

No one is denying that there is cross-sharing of data. I've no doubt my search patterns and interests are shared, probably because somewhere deep in the terms and conditions of something I use I've accidentally signed up to it.

What you started this thread with:

What does your Glasgow story have to do with that?

The capacity for data processing and the power of search algorithms is hard to comprehend now. But in order to get high quality outputs you need good quality inputs. Random words that may or may not be you overheard on an appliance that may or may not belong to you and could actually be from the radio or TV is not a great input.

If you want to start a new thread or rename this one feel free but could we focus on real issues not imaginary ones.

And you started this thread with (and I'm paraphrasing here):

"No"

And now... look how far we've come? There is still time Alan - the truth it out there man and it will find you... if you want it.

Few weeks back, I'd been chopping onions in the kitchen and had watery eyes, had a 2 minute conversation with wife and child about onions and why they make you cry when you chop them.

10 minutes later, an article appeared within an ad banner on a website about onions making you cry, the iPad was in the kitchen for the duration of the conversation.

Bit fucking weird.

Suprised it weren't a Sainsbury's advert for home shopping with Onions already in the bag...

I jest now, but the deployment of this kind of ideology is where it will all end up going.

"Hey Honey - what do you fancy tonight?"

"Let's get takeout! I can't be arsed cooking"...

Every day then-on, imagine having adverts from Hungryhouse shoved in your kite for pizza's and shit - you know how as kids you'd pester your mam and dad for whatever was advertised on 9 a.m Saturday breakfast shows? Seriously - imagine that?

[oojason]

Google Is Now Tracking You Even If You’re Shopping Offline:-

https://fossbytes.com/google-tracking-offiline-shopping-google-attribution/

&

Google wants to track your phone and credit card through meatspace:-

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/24/google_to_track_credit_cards/

(and check the comments section for more info)

[The Gulleysucker]

Interesting article though the embedded link to Share Lab doesn't seem to be working.

[redbyrdz]

Interesting article though the embedded link to Share Lab doesn't seem to be working.

Saw that earlier and was just looking for a good place to post it.

[Upinsmoke]

Gonna have to re-evaluate my entire browsing

I don't mind seeing the odd sites that pick up my browsing habits and then I get ads on other sites through said browser, doesn't really arse me

But seeing something for example on Facebook which in no way should have access to what I'm doing in another program is completely out of order.

[cloggypop]

I highly recommend fucking off the Facebook app and using the likes of Metal instead.

[CraigDS]

But seeing something for example on Facebook which in no way should have access to what I'm doing in another program is completely out of order.

What do you mean by another program? Like a browser or are you on about some other program on your computer?

[qwerty_in_advance]

Hope someone can help, I'm not on Facebook but for the last few weeks my partner who is on Facebook has been getting ads which are based on my browsing history from my phone. She's on Facebook on her phone and I'm browsing on mine and she's seeing these ads. Is it because we're connected to the same WiFi? Is there anyway to stop this?

[CraigDS]

Hope someone can help, I'm not on Facebook but for the last few weeks my partner who is on Facebook has been getting ads which are based on my browsing history from my phone. She's on Facebook on her phone and I'm browsing on mine and she's seeing these ads. Is it because we're connected to the same WiFi? Is there anyway to stop this?

Yeah will no doubt be due to using the same WIFI, although they'll normally filter most of that out depending on the device being used (although if she has logged into her FB from your device before then they'll no doubt have linked that to her account too).

[qwerty_in_advance]

Yeah will no doubt be due to using the same WIFI, although they'll normally filter most of that out depending on the device being used (although if she has logged into her FB from your device before then they'll no doubt have linked that to her account too).

She definitely hasn't logged into her FB account on my phone before I don't even have the app... These ads are becoming a right pain, last week looking at jewellery for her birthday and the exact ring i was looking at pops up on her Facebook!

[Upinsmoke]

What do you mean by another program? Like a browser or are you on about some other program on your computer?

I'm on about your browsing habits through say chrome on mobile being tracked and then used by Facebook through the app. Just takes the piss

[CraigDS]

I'm on about your browsing habits through say chrome on mobile being tracked and then used by Facebook through the app. Just takes the piss

It's mostly tracked through websites which have the various FB buttons installed. So FB will know your device via you using it for their app or whatever, and then when you go on a site which uses their buttons it will allow them to track you.

It's easy enough to block by using private browsing which should prevent them making the connection.

[PaulF]

What was her reaction? .......







And her reaction when the gimp mask popped up?
She definitely hasn't logged into her FB account on my phone before I don't even have the app... These ads are becoming a right pain, last week looking at jewellery for her birthday and the exact ring i was looking at pops up on her Facebook!

[oojason]

'Not Apr 1: Google stops scanning your Gmail to sling targeted ads at you'...

Given the amount of data it already has on you, why bother?

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/23/google_stops_scanning_gmail_messages/


^as ever with El Reg articles - the comments section is well worth a read too...

[conman]

Mentioned a story about binary trading to my mate about.
Fast forward two hours, and I'm being targeted with ads on instagram for binary trading.

Yesterday I discussed visa's and passports with my workmate, coincidently I listened to a podcast this morning which mentioned passports. But low and behold, I have a passport advertisement in instagram today from the department of foreign affairs telling me how to renew my passport abroad.



Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[cloggypop]

Mentioned a story about binary trading to my mate about.
Fast forward two hours, and I'm being targeted with ads on instagram for binary trading.

Yesterday I discussed visa's and passports with my workmate, coincidently I listened to a podcast this morning which mentioned passports. But low and behold, I have a passport advertisement in instagram today from the department of foreign affairs telling me how to renew my passport abroad.



Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

I'm currently being targeted with Tapatalk ads

[ChaChaMooMoo]

It so happened, on multiple occasions,  that I was trying to get the meaning of a word. English of course.  And I always pronounce it first a little loud, and then open Chrome to search for the word, followed by the word, meaning. For example, recluse meaning. Or Scavenging meaning. Or plethora meaning. And all the time, that word and meaning would be listed in the suggestions options after typing just a couple of letters.

At first I thought it was just a coincidence. But now its just a bit creepy. I don't have facebook on my phone. But have WhatsApp and its an android.

Anyone here noticed this?

[red1977]

Got a letter from my pension providers the other day. Ive moved to Amsterdam and my dutch isnt great so put it in google translate, ive had 2 spam emails from different pension providers since and there are pension adds popping up on the internet from the same companies. I can understand how this happend cheeky c*nts, but...
2nd weird thing, I was listening to some music whilst drunk with my headphones on and fell asleep, woke up and my right ear was ringing. I spoke with the wife about it breifly but that was it. Today I got a spam email from some ear care company. ive not googled ear ache or texted or whats app'd or gone on facebook about it, ive checked. fucks me off to be honest.

[CraigDS]

It so happened, on multiple occasions,  that I was trying to get the meaning of a word. English of course.  And I always pronounce it first a little loud, and then open Chrome to search for the word, followed by the word, meaning. For example, recluse meaning. Or Scavenging meaning. Or plethora meaning. And all the time, that word and meaning would be listed in the suggestions options after typing just a couple of letters.

At first I thought it was just a coincidence. But now its just a bit creepy. I don't have facebook on my phone. But have WhatsApp and its an android.

Anyone here noticed this?

My girlfriend does this and said the exact same thing a few days ago.

Think it's just a common search so Google will suggest it when they notice what you are typing.

[redtel]

I stopped using GOOGLE some time ago.

I use Duck Duck Go   

https://duckduckgo.com/about

I changed to Duck Duck Go after you posted Paul but have noticed a similar pattern as they post ads around articles I'm reading based on recent searches.

I would expect all the search sites to use this model to make money and grow.

Unless anyone knows different?

[oojason]

I changed to Duck Duck Go after you posted Paul but have noticed a similar pattern as they post ads around articles I'm reading based on recent searches.

I would expect all the search sites to use this model to make money and grow.

Unless anyone knows different?

duckduckgo is good - and very useful, though I prefer startpage.com (as a homepage and my browser's choice of search engine) - when using it through the SRW Iron browser - and with 'ublock origin' as an adblocker - I don't see ads/articles based on any of my searches.

Maybe worth a go? All are free and easy to use - and you can always go back or try something else if you'd don't like it it doesn't work for you?


https://www.startpage.com/eng/ or https://www.ixquick.com/uk/ (for a non-google based search)
https://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm?hl=en

[Elzar]

Might be a reasonable location thing to this but here we go...

I have a zoopla account, but no app, just an account. Drove to Preston a few weeks back, and literally as we came off the motorway into Preston, I got an email from Zoopla saying "Looking to buy in Preston....?".

Dodgy as fuck.

[Phil M]

Might be a reasonable location thing to this but here we go...

I have a zoopla account, but no app, just an account. Drove to Preston a few weeks back, and literally as we came off the motorway into Preston, I got an email from Zoopla saying "Looking to buy in Preston....?".

Dodgy as fuck.

Turn off location services.

[stoa]

My girlfriend does this and said the exact same thing a few days ago.

Think it's just a common search so Google will suggest it when they notice what you are typing.

Don't really see the issue with that. Isn't that exactly the point of google (search engine) collecting your data? You often use it to find the meaning of a word by typing "[word] meaning". I would have assumed it's perfectly natural that over time it just assumes that a good suggestion would be "[word] meaning" whenever you start typing...

[Elzar]

Turn off location services.

I still don't get how Zoopla have got hold of my location services, when I hadn't used them for months.

[CraigDS]

Had one just now...

Moving into a new place and it has blinds in the bedroom. Said to my gf I'll have to get curtains as the blinds will let in a load of light which I hate.

Just gone on FB and there is a sponsored advert for blackout blinds (strangely for the exact type of blind I have) and marketed towards stopping light in the bedroom.

[redtel]

duckduckgo is good - and very useful, though I prefer startpage.com (as a homepage and my browser's choice of search engine) - when using it through the SRW Iron browser - and with 'ublock origin' as an adblocker - I don't see ads/articles based on any of my searches.

Maybe worth a go? All are free and easy to use - and you can always go back or try something else if you'd don't like it it doesn't work for you?


https://www.startpage.com/eng/ or https://www.ixquick.com/uk/ (for a non-google based search)
https://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm?hl=en

Thanks for that, I will give it a try.

I searched a hotel in Southampton last week, booked it, and am still getting pics of front of the hotel while reading another article.

[oojason]

'Google tracks what you spend offline to prove its online ads work. And privacy folks are furious':-

Watchdog goes to court to open up black box system...

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/31/googles_secret_ad_algorithm_prompts_privacy_complaint/


^ it's in the main about the US - though am sure the EU will be keeping a close eye on this as well.

As ever with The Reg the comments section below each article is well worth a read too...

[BlackandWhitePaul]

I came across then downloaded EPIC last night and am currently using it.

I will stick with it for a week and see how it goes.

https://www.epicbrowser.com/privacy/intro.html

[Skidder.]

I came across then downloaded EPIC last night and am currently using it.

I will stick with it for a week and see how it goes.

https://www.epicbrowser.com/privacy/intro.html

[Barneylfc∗]

A former Miss bumbum has done a welcome to Barca tweet (not posting a link for obvious reasons)

PM?

What is Miss BumBum, I think this thread might have found purpose at last!

I'm not a conspiracy theorist by any means, but can someone tell me why the fuck I have just got this email 

Spooky

[Lfsea]

Ok cynics. Explain this one.

Bear in mind in don't have kids and have never bought anything online for a child, nor have I done any searches related to any kids/baby products.

I visited a friend last weekend to see their baby daughter. The kid was using a weird beaker that you can't spill. I commented to mum on how clever it was and we talked about it for a couple of sentences and moved on.

A day later that exact beaker is turning up on any website that uses targeted adverts. The same colour, the same brand.

I have never talked about it before and I haven't talked about it since. Literally the only way any company could have known that I knew about that cup would be through interpreting the conversation I had. Crazy.

[CraigDS]

Did you use your phone (or any device) at their house? Use their Wifi?

It's likely they've linked you to them that way and therefore you're seeing some of their targeted ads, which given they've bought this cup before is likely something they've looked up.

[Lfsea]

Did you use your phone (or any device) at their house? Use their Wifi?

It's likely they've linked you to them that way and therefore you're seeing some of their targeted ads, which given they've bought this cup before is likely something they've looked up.

I used my phone, but I didn't connect to the Wifi - All I used my phone for whilst I was there was a game of cards on the loo when I had a poo. I actually know that the cup was a present as it was given to them for her first birthday from someone.

I find it very difficult to believe that a sophistication of technology exists (and that would be wasted on consumers) that is able to geolocate me in the same place as someone who owns a very specific child's cup that was bought in real life and would guess that we had a conversation about the cup and then target ads at me - that didn't in some way rely on the conversation we had about it.

[Graeme]

You went for a shit at a friends house?

[Lfsea]

You went for a shit at a friends house?

Maybe the only good thing that comes from having IBS.

[Skidder.]

Did you use your phone (or any device) at their house? Use their Wifi?

It's likely they've linked you to them that way and therefore you're seeing some of their targeted ads, which given they've bought this cup before is likely something they've looked up.

You know, just as folk rationalise to pander to their delusions, the same can be said for the opposite. Unless you are deliberately playing Devil's Advocate (which is sound), how can you see this as anything other than a typical case of hotwording?

Don't you think that it is an even larger coincidence that the bloke was actually talking about it? I mean, the word coincidence has been thrown around here quite a lot - but 9 pages on, are you seriously still thinking that people's experiences and stories are just coincidence?

The simplest explanation to this is simply that his phone picked up on buzzwords (linking brand names, etc...) rather than well... If I gleaned this right - he signed in on their Wifi, so their friends' searches and purchases have somehow infected his phone... and out of all of the hundreds and thousands of items they could have searched for, (or others), 'it' has chosen to throw this one advert at him?

Or.

A device that has a microphone on it (that reads speech very well), that is carried around everywhere, has a number of top 10 app downloads on it and the resources to monitor hotwords at the end-user level, has picked up on a 'vocal cookie' and linked an advertising campaign to him.

I am astounded that folk still think that... well, I will quote the mother of all cynics:

No they aren't.