Creepy marketing from MS Edge browser

[Opti]

I'm wondering what I should do. MS Edge tracks you more than the previous browser and I don't know how to turn some of it off. It is one thing if MS creepily forwards my info to a vendor, it is another thing if said vendor pops a coupon in the physica mail to me.

What the ever-loving heck? I shop things ages before I ever buy them unless its something small like groceries. I hate being targeted like this, its annoying and maddening. So what do I do? I visited several websites as one of my totes is falling apart. I have no money to replace at this time. On none of the websites did I leave my contact info. MS has my physical address which makes me unhappy. 

I make limited use of the autofill feature in MS Edge. Should I disable it entirely? What are my options? 
I'd be unhappy but not surprised if I had received a soliciting email with a coupon code. This is kind of like stalking, but by a vendor.

What would you do? I notice the MS autofiller frequently serves up incorrect info such as not quite correct phone number or a birthday that is invalid. 

[Tennesseer]

Feb 18, 2022 11:00:55 GMT -5 Opti said:

I'm wondering what I should do. MS Edge tracks you more than the previous browser and I don't know how to turn some of it off. It is one thing if MS creepily forwards my info to a vendor, it is another thing if said vendor pops a coupon in the physica mail to me.

What the ever-loving heck? I shop things ages before I ever buy them unless its something small like groceries. I hate being targeted like this, its annoying and maddening. So what do I do? I visited several websites as one of my totes is falling apart. I have no money to replace at this time. On none of the websites did I leave my contact info. MS has my physical address which makes me unhappy. 

I make limited use of the autofill feature in MS Edge. Should I disable it entirely? What are my options? 
I'd be unhappy but not surprised if I had received a soliciting email with a coupon code. This is kind of like stalking, but by a vendor.

What would you do? I notice the MS autofiller frequently serves up incorrect info such as not quite correct phone number or a birthday that is invalid. 

I don't used MS Edge. I have used Google search for years. With Google you can clear/delete your browsing history. Can you do that with Edge?

If you cannot, change your user ID with Edge. Create a email address. Any vendors who send you ads via email after you used Edge can be dumped in that email address and won't clog up your regular email addresses.

[Opti]

Feb 18, 2022 11:38:08 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Feb 18, 2022 11:00:55 GMT -5 Opti said:

I'm wondering what I should do. MS Edge tracks you more than the previous browser and I don't know how to turn some of it off. It is one thing if MS creepily forwards my info to a vendor, it is another thing if said vendor pops a coupon in the physica mail to me.

What the ever-loving heck? I shop things ages before I ever buy them unless its something small like groceries. I hate being targeted like this, its annoying and maddening. So what do I do? I visited several websites as one of my totes is falling apart. I have no money to replace at this time. On none of the websites did I leave my contact info. MS has my physical address which makes me unhappy. 

I make limited use of the autofill feature in MS Edge. Should I disable it entirely? What are my options? 
I'd be unhappy but not surprised if I had received a soliciting email with a coupon code. This is kind of like stalking, but by a vendor.

What would you do? I notice the MS autofiller frequently serves up incorrect info such as not quite correct phone number or a birthday that is invalid. 

I don't used MS Edge. I have used Google search for years. With Google you can clear/delete your browsing history. Can you do that with Edge?

If you cannot, change your user ID with Edge. Create a email address. Any vendors who send you ads via email after you used Edge can be dumped in that email address and won't clog up your regular email addresses.

It is a physical mail piece. That's what I find so creepy. I hardly get any catalogs as I do not buy much, and most of the ones I used to follow have dropped catalogs. Likie clockwork I seem to be getting two high end catalogs in February. One I wouldn't have ordered from even back in the days when I was well paid. Some nice stuff, but I could find things I like better for much less. The other I think is fishing for customers every Feb as its usually a retailer's slowest month. They have stuff I might buy on sale, but February is almost the least likely time I would do so.


 But you bring up a good point. Maybe I should use a browser less married to the operating system. Edge does have useful features like showing me price histories of items. The coupons rarely are better than when I am shopping though. A few dept stores I shop in person and online. I wait for the stuff I regularly buy to be at a good price. 

[teen persuasion]

Have you looked at the privacy/security settings for the browser?

I'm on my kindle fire RN so can't try edge ATM, but I set up the major browsers on the public PCs at work. I go thru the settings and turn off "helpful" default settings because they are way too intrusive (especially for a public computer, but even for a private one). IIRC, it's usually a gear icon on the upper right hand corner. There's usually an "advanced" section - those are the ones to especially scrutinize. Turn off or disable anything you don't absolutely need/want. You can always go back and add something if you find it's necessary.

ETA: might be in the hamburger or 3 dots menu, too.  They are all mashed up in my memory, because there's so many similar but different places to hide it.

[Tennesseer]

Feb 18, 2022 12:30:50 GMT -5 Opti said:

Feb 18, 2022 11:38:08 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

I don't used MS Edge. I have used Google search for years. With Google you can clear/delete your browsing history. Can you do that with Edge?

If you cannot, change your user ID with Edge. Create a email address. Any vendors who send you ads via email after you used Edge can be dumped in that email address and won't clog up your regular email addresses.

It is a physical mail piece. That's what I find so creepy. I hardly get any catalogs as I do not buy much, and most of the ones I used to follow have dropped catalogs. Likie clockwork I seem to be getting two high end catalogs in February. One I wouldn't have ordered from even back in the days when I was well paid. Some nice stuff, but I could find things I like better for much less. The other I think is fishing for customers every Feb as its usually a retailer's slowest month. They have stuff I might buy on sale, but February is almost the least likely time I would do so.


 But you bring up a good point. Maybe I should use a browser less married to the operating system. Edge does have useful features like showing me price histories of items. The coupons rarely are better than when I am shopping though. A few dept stores I shop in person and online. I wait for the stuff I regularly buy to be at a good price. 

Change whatever physical address you have associated with MS Edge?

[Opti]

Feb 18, 2022 12:50:40 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Feb 18, 2022 12:30:50 GMT -5 Opti said:

It is a physical mail piece. That's what I find so creepy. I hardly get any catalogs as I do not buy much, and most of the ones I used to follow have dropped catalogs. Likie clockwork I seem to be getting two high end catalogs in February. One I wouldn't have ordered from even back in the days when I was well paid. Some nice stuff, but I could find things I like better for much less. The other I think is fishing for customers every Feb as its usually a retailer's slowest month. They have stuff I might buy on sale, but February is almost the least likely time I would do so.


 But you bring up a good point. Maybe I should use a browser less married to the operating system. Edge does have useful features like showing me price histories of items. The coupons rarely are better than when I am shopping though. A few dept stores I shop in person and online. I wait for the stuff I regularly buy to be at a good price. 

Change whatever physical address you have associated with MS Edge?

It auto tracks any info you put into websites. I could start using other addresses though. When I was at work, I often did directions from there instead of here. I also use three different zip codes regularly because of the stores I visit. I forgot though that perhaps its fishing from one of the local strip malls or malls. I missed out on a freebie burrito because I wasn't willing to brave the weather b4 it expired.
The food court and other stores have been churning a little more than usual because of the pandemic.

I'll slow my panic. If its usual customer fishing via USmail, it's just inconvenient and a little sad. It expires before my current unemployment hoop might end. No $$$ available for good deals. Unless they are very small like cheap groceries.

[Opti]

Feb 18, 2022 12:50:35 GMT -5 teen persuasion said:

Have you looked at the privacy/security settings for the browser?

I'm on my kindle fire RN so can't try edge ATM, but I set up the major browsers on the public PCs at work. I go thru the settings and turn off "helpful" default settings because they are way too intrusive (especially for a public computer, but even for a private one). IIRC, it's usually a gear icon on the upper right hand corner. There's usually an "advanced" section - those are the ones to especially scrutinize. Turn off or disable anything you don't absolutely need/want. You can always go back and add something if you find it's necessary.

ETA: might be in the hamburger or 3 dots menu, too.  They are all mashed up in my memory, because there's such many similar but different places to hide it.

I'll look later. I have a Windows version manual at home from the library.

[nidena]

I did a search for "how ms edge tracks you on the internet" and this came up: Learn about tracking prevention in Microsoft Edge