It's happening a little too much

[Jim]

In the past, Trish and I have been talking about buying a widget and then a short time later an ad appears on our FB feed about that widget. Today I found a couple of ants working their way across the kitchen floor and mentioned that it's time to call Terminix. And a very short time later I get a Terminix ad in my FB feed.

There's a bug in my house and I don't mean the one crawling across the floor.

 

[Neal]

That's how it works sadly. They are tracking you. I do the same thing, I search for something or visit a web site and then it is all over my Facebook feed. It's even in my mobile feeds from even an amazon search I think. It is very eye opening. It's called remarketing.

I haven't witnessed this personally but a fellow software developer friend of mine had a phone conversation about an idea yet he had never searched on this topic. Then he sees ads related to his conversation. This was 10 or so years ago, but it is shocking and I just accept it as the way it's going to be.

 

[Jim]

That's how it works sadly. They are tracking you. I do the same thing, I search for something or visit a web site and then it is all over my Facebook feed. It's even in my mobile feeds from even an amazon search I think. It is very eye opening. It's called remarketing.

I get it, but we wern't visiting a webpage or doing a Google search. We were just talking in the living room.

 

[Neal]

I get it, but we wern't visiting a webpage or doing a Google search. We were just talking in the living room.

See my edit above I just added.

 

[Neal]

Do you use Android (effectively Google) or iPhone (Apple/iOS)?

 

[Jim]

Do you use Android (effectively Google) or iPhone (Apple/iOS)?

We both have iPhone's but they only work when we're in town. There is -0- cell service out here. But I guess that wouldn't stop the phone from listening and sending what it heard somewhere via the Internet.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

One of the many reasons why I don't use Facebook!

TJ

 

[Neal]

We both have iPhone's but they only work when we're in town. There is -0- cell service out here. But I guess that wouldn't stop the phone from listening and sending what it heard somewhere via the Internet.

I don't have an answer as to why and where it's coming from as there are a lot of things listening these days from computers, laptops, tablets, phones, Alexa, Google Home, Nest, the list goes on! I suggest reviewing the privacy settings of what you do have. For the iPhone you could tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy and then each app will have to request permissions again. Pay attention to who gets access to the Microphone. The safer option is to go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and review who has access and toggle as desired.

One of the many reasons why I don't use Facebook!

TJ

It has nothing to do with Facebook in my opinion but not using Facebook is a smart move! Sadly my business(es) depend on it.

 

[CoreyinWP]

we have that happen all the time. My son's puppy just had surgery and we were talking about puppies over dinner. My wife starts getting all types of ads for puppies.

 

[Tjdave]

This is spooky. While camping with friends over Memorial Day, we were playing with his compact drone. It was pretty cool. There was no phone signal, just intermittent campground WiFi. When we got back to town, all sorts of adds started popping up for that drone and others. I never searched or looked up anything about drones.
Last week, another friend was showing me his new e-bike. Same thing. Never looked up, read, or searched for anything about e-bikes. Unnerving. I have an Android.
If I didn't need my phone for work, or for my parents to get ahold of me, I would toss it in the river!

 

[AbdRahim]

One of the many reasons why I don't use Facebook!

TJ

Or allow any microphone or camera to be used by apps that have internet access. On the desktop, there is no camera and no microphone. Smart TV's are listening, as well as Alexa, Siri, Cortana, etc. Win 10, ten years ago would have been considered spyware.

 

[MapNerd]

If you have an Alexa device, it’s listening all the time. We think it’s not because the light isn’t on and it doesn’t respond, but it is.

If you use Google Assistant or Siri on your smart phone, they’re both listening all the time. Same as the above, we all assume that they aren’t because there is no response, but that’s by design.

Many other applications are doing this as well. Facebook is another. @Neal’s advice to check your privacy settings is correct, as is @AbdRahim’s advice to check your microphone permissions.

You should always be giving applications the least amount of privileges needed. Very few if any applications need access to your microphone all the time, but that’s the default permission the applications seek and when you grant that permission, it’s not always obvious the scope of permission you’ve granted.

Not having cellular service or even internet service of any kind often does not matter. Modern applications are designed to handle that without you even realizing it. What happens when there is no network connection is that it operates very similar to your dashcam, creating a memory space and continuing to record into that space, overwriting the oldest with the latest when it runs out of space. Then, when eventually you connect to a network and it sees that is has a strong internet connection, it uploads everything it has. You the user are completely oblivious to all of this happening.

Those recordings are analyzed by machine learning algorithms that have gotten very good at processing natural language, understanding various phrases we all say day in and day out, and bucketing them into various categories of things they can use to advertise merchandise, services and whatnot. Essentially, your private conversations are being analyzed and converted into internet searches. The search performers was the phrase you uttered that triggered a categorization. “We need to call Terminix” == “Extermination Services near me”.

You then sign onto your computer and are surprised to see these advertisements for things you never searched for and thought you had a private conversation about in passing with someone else. The truth is, there are no private conversations today. Everything, everywhere is listening, mining, processing and feeding the advertisement machine.

If you will all excuse me for a few moments now, I’m going to go snuggle on my aluminum foil blanket. The tin foil hats were never enough for me.

 

[Buly]

Alexa has her ears on 24/7 . I have noticed the same thing with ads at home

 

[AbdRahim]

Even modern cars are now listening.

 

[Neal]

Well, I'm glad Google is listening because I just re-subscribed to YouTube Premium which comes with Google Music and it knows me so well I'm loving what it's playing for me. Now if only it would make me breakfast!

 

[Jim]

Even modern cars are now listening.

How so?

 

[MapNerd]

How so?

Many modern cars are starting to include Alexa. Further, if you’re using CarPlay or Android Auto and those devices are configured with Google Assistant or Siri to always listen for “Ok Google” or “Hey Siri”, then the same thing is happening, as your car’s infotainment is being powered by your phone.

 

[MapNerd]

Well, I'm glad Google is listening because I just re-subscribed to YouTube Premium which comes with Google Music and it knows me so well I'm loving what it's playing for me. Now if only it would make me breakfast!

D’oh!

Redirect Notice

 

[Neal]

Sorry, the app is named YouTube music that I'm using. All the same to me. Normally I'm a Spotify user but since this is something I'm paying for too I'm checking it out. So far pleased but I will never, NEVER leave Spotify. I love their integrations and how I can control it from my Apple Watch, it's in my home stereos, it's everywhere!