Watching Me, Watching Me

[Deleted]

Ok, I’ve accepted that if I use my cell phone in a way that makes life more convenient for me, I also give up some degree of privacy.

I’ve accepted that websites use cookies and such to learn more about us.

I’ve accepted that companies use information gathered from our cell phones IRG to our locations to target us for ads.

I’ve almost gotten use to seeing ads for things DBF has researched (often that I have zero interest in), and said it’s because we use the same wifi.

But yesterday, we were in the kitchen and I asked youngest teen about a shirt she had on, and we had a brief conversation about the brand that made the shirt. Very brief.

I’d never heard of this brand and probably wouldn’t have remembered it past last night...... except, tonight ads for the brand just popped up on my FB timeline.

A private conversation in my house is different from sharing a wifi connection. We don’t have Alexa or any of those smart home gadgets, just because of my concerns about privacy.

It’s really bothering me that I got those ads tonight.

[Apple]

Do you have the facebook or messenger app on your phone?  If so, it's probably from that.  The apps keep the microphone on to listen (you can't turn that option off, I got rid of both apps when they changed that part.)

I was talking to a coworker in an area with no wi-fi or cell reception.  A biker type guy about quilting.  Not a thing he normally discusses, but he was curious about one I was working on.  Later that day he got on facebook and had ads for all kinds of quilting related things.  He had the messenger app and it picked up our conversation.

[Lizard Queen]

It happened to me before I ever downloaded Facebook messenger. I think it's Google, and I can't get that off my phone.

[Tiny]

Did you (or someone in your household) use a credit card to buy the t-shirt?  Was it a recent purchase?  

I bought dog pads (the kind you use when you are training your puppy to go outside to pee) for my cat.  She's kind of feral - and when I catch her to give her a pill she is so terrified she pees.   A pee pad makes the whole ordeal a little less traumatic for me (easier clean up) so I have to put the cat thru less (she gets pilled quicker and set free).    I also use a pad in her crate for vet visits - cause she pees in terror when she's either put in the crate or when we are at the vet and she is removed from the crate.  ::sigh::    That instore purchase with a credit card of the pee pads months and months ago - spawned a whole deluge of new puppy/dog ads, emails, and snail mail.  They never stop.   I continue to by cat food, beds, toys, all things cat related - but I now ONLY get coupons and discounts for dog things.   From a one time in store credit card purchase months ago.

That's just one example I have of the ads generated from a credit card purchase IN A STORE.   

I think my phone pinged their wifi (or blue tooth or who knows what) that I was in a Home Depot.   I didn't buy anything (I was with a relative who did the purchase) but boy did I get spammed with HomeDepot ads, emails, snail mail.    It was crazy. 

It's creepy.       There is no way in heck I'm buying and using a "smart" anything that listens for voice commands for my home.   It's bad enough I've got a phone and laptop.   

[Tiny]

For Android: 


How to stop an Android from listening to you by disabling Google Assistant

Open the Settings app.

Tap "Google."

In the services section, select "account services."

Choose "search, Assistant & voice."

Tap "voice."

In the "Hey Google" section, select "voice match."

Turn off "Hey Google" by swiping the button to the left.

[Tennesseer]

[Lizard Queen]

Nov 29, 2020 23:01:07 GMT -5 Tiny said:

For Android: 


How to stop an Android from listening to you by disabling Google Assistant

Open the Settings app.

Tap "Google."

In the services section, select "account services."

Choose "search, Assistant & voice."

Tap "voice."

In the "Hey Google" section, select "voice match."

Turn off "Hey Google" by swiping the button to the left.

Mine's already off. It still seems to listen. I don't know.

[chiver78]

Nov 29, 2020 23:12:06 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Nov 29, 2020 23:01:07 GMT -5 Tiny said:

For Android: 


How to stop an Android from listening to you by disabling Google Assistant

Open the Settings app.

Tap "Google."

In the services section, select "account services."

Choose "search, Assistant & voice."

Tap "voice."

In the "Hey Google" section, select "voice match."

Turn off "Hey Google" by swiping the button to the left.

Mine's already off. It still seems to listen. I don't know.

likewise. I also just sanity checked - the microphone was not allowed
for my FB app, but it was for Messenger. that has now been fixed. let's see if it makes a difference.

[happyhoix]

What’s weird to me is I bought a bunch of stuff for a garden fence on my home lap top yesterday and today when I logged into my work lap top and checked the news I had ads pop up for fencing.

And at home, on my home lap top, I sometimes get ads for work related equipment.

I don’t like my electronics talking about me behind my back.

[Deleted]

Nov 29, 2020 22:55:03 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Did you (or someone in your household) use a credit card to buy the t-shirt?  Was it a recent purchase?  

I bought dog pads (the kind you use when you are training your puppy to go outside to pee) for my cat.  She's kind of feral - and when I catch her to give her a pill she is so terrified she pees.   A pee pad makes the whole ordeal a little less traumatic for me (easier clean up) so I have to put the cat thru less (she gets pilled quicker and set free).    I also use a pad in her crate for vet visits - cause she pees in terror when she's either put in the crate or when we are at the vet and she is removed from the crate.  ::sigh::    That instore purchase with a credit card of the pee pads months and months ago - spawned a whole deluge of new puppy/dog ads, emails, and snail mail.  They never stop.   I continue to by cat food, beds, toys, all things cat related - but I now ONLY get coupons and discounts for dog things.   From a one time in store credit card purchase months ago.

That's just one example I have of the ads generated from a credit card purchase IN A STORE.   

I think my phone pinged their wifi (or blue tooth or who knows what) that I was in a Home Depot.   I didn't buy anything (I was with a relative who did the purchase) but boy did I get spammed with HomeDepot ads, emails, snail mail.    It was crazy. 

It's creepy.       There is no way in heck I'm buying and using a "smart" anything that listens for voice commands for my home.   It's bad enough I've got a phone and laptop.   

I don’t think the shirt was new. I’ll ask her when she gets up.

I know for a fact that marketing companies use location information gathered from cell phones to send you ads. I know that from my side gig, not just me thinking that.

When I told DBF about it, he was even a little creeped out and started Googling how that happened. I fell asleep, so don’t know what he found out.

[thyme4change]

My daughter's friend was over and we were cooking something and she said "Is that a green Le Cruset?" and we had a short conversation about how it wasn't a Le Cruset, but the handle on my knock off broke and I found a perfect solution at the Le Cruset store with a branded replacement handle. End of conversation. Onto discussion about carrots.

She checked her phone and she was receiving ads for a Green Le Cruset pot.

They are listening. Always listening.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

I looked up a product on our family room computer. Within a few minutes my wife was getting ads for it on her ipad. 

I never thought about the router spying on us. 

[NoNamePerson]

Nov 30, 2020 12:03:57 GMT -5 ken a.k.a OMK said:

I looked up a product on our family room computer. Within a few minutes my wife was getting ads for it on her ipad. 

I never thought about the router spying on us. 

I was looking up something online and an ad came on my TV at same time! Freaky coincidence from Xfinity I’ve been on iPad and had friend call. Just laid table aside while on phone. Next thing I know Siri (guess that’s who) starts talking to me. 

That’s when I get a drink and smoke

[billisonboard]

Nov 30, 2020 12:03:57 GMT -5 ken a.k.a OMK said:

I looked up a product on our family room computer. Within a few minutes my wife was getting ads for it on her ipad. 

I never thought about the router spying on us. 

I hand my wife my credit card occasionally to pay for her new outfit on line and I end up with ads for women's clothing on my tablet.

[NoNamePerson]

Nov 30, 2020 12:53:44 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Nov 30, 2020 12:03:57 GMT -5 ken a.k.a OMK said:

I looked up a product on our family room computer. Within a few minutes my wife was getting ads for it on her ipad. 

I never thought about the router spying on us. 

I hand my wife my credit card occasionally to pay for her new outfit on line and I end up with ads for women's clothing on my tablet.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

I hand my wife my credit card occasionally to pay for her new outfit on line and I end up with ads for women's clothing on my tablet.

On the rare occasion I buy something online for myself I ask my wife if it's ok to spend $25 and she says "sure I spend hundreds on myself all the time and don't ask you." 

[Tennesseer]

Nov 29, 2020 22:40:48 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

Ok, I’ve accepted that if I use my cell phone in a way that makes life more convenient for me, I also give up some degree of privacy.

I’ve accepted that websites use cookies and such to learn more about us.

I’ve accepted that companies use information gathered from our cell phones IRG to our locations to target us for ads.

I’ve almost gotten use to seeing ads for things DBF has researched (often that I have zero interest in), and said it’s because we use the same wifi.

But yesterday, we were in the kitchen and I asked youngest teen about a shirt she had on, and we had a brief conversation about the brand that made the shirt. Very brief.

I’d never heard of this brand and probably wouldn’t have remembered it past last night...... except, tonight ads for the brand just popped up on my FB timeline.

A private conversation in my house is different from sharing a wifi connection. We don’t have Alexa or any of those smart home gadgets, just because of my concerns about privacy.

It’s really bothering me that I got those ads tonight.

[jitterbug]

I was reading my grandson a book that I used to read to my son in about 1990...then an ad popped up for the exact same book in my Facebook news feed!