Creeped out. Internet tech question

[truthbedamned]

Yesterday I was having a conversation with my daughter about a possible job that I might be doing at a resort named Paradise Point in San Diego. I googled it on my phone and showed her a picture of what the place looked like.

This morning I get a text from her with a facebook ad she had on her facebook page from you guessed it. Paradise Point. I get that after Googling it I might get the ad but the person I was talking to got it? How the fuck did they know what I was talking to her about? This shit is beginning to really creep me out. Only thing I can figure is someone or some thing is listening over our phones. Anyone else have any ideas?

Merry Xmas guys.

 

[nvanprooyen]

Were you using your wifi when you did the search, and has she ever connected to the same network?

 

[truthbedamned]

Were you using your wifi when you did the search, and has she ever connected to the same network?

I was at her house but not sure if I was on her Wifi. I don't ever remember connecting to it before. I will have to see this afternoon when we go there for Xmas dinner.

I did not think about that. Little less creepy if that is true.

 

[Tjodalv]

Likely your (or her) phone. Most modern phones have an "always on" feature that listens to you, runs what you talk about through an algorithm, then "customizes" ads to relate to what you've been discussing. Supposedly they don't keep records of the actual conversations, but who the fuck knows.

 

[Burque]

@truthbedamned just wait until you start getting advertisements about things you think about but don't ever say out loud....

They are certainly listening through your phone and using your location as well. Wife and I went mattress shopping once and were in the store for like two hours. With 24 hours of that we both started getting hounded with advertising for mattresses.

 

[Urblock]

Flip phone until it stops working. Phone is for talking and that is it. Other things can wait.

 

[Crystallas]

You Googled it. Then saw it on Facebook. . . . .

Why did this happen? You use Google and Facebook. ?

Either use services that respect your privacy, or use popular services that share your activity then don't complain.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Who cares? Google knows more about you than you do.

 

[nvanprooyen]

Likely your (or her) phone. Most modern phones have an "always on" feature that listens to you, runs what you talk about through an algorithm, then "customizes" ads to relate to what you've been discussing. Supposedly they don't keep records of the actual conversations, but who the fuck knows.

They don't, although that's been the rumor for quite some time. This is a decent read:

Facebook's Not Listening Through Your Phone. It Doesn't Have To

The internet is awash in theories about Facebook using your smartphone's microphone to eavesdrop on your conversations. It's not. Here's why.

www.wired.com

 

[nvanprooyen]

@truthbedamned just wait until you start getting advertisements about things you think about but don't ever say out loud....

They are certainly listening through your phone and using your location as well. Wife and I went mattress shopping once and were in the store for like two hours. With 24 hours of that we both started getting hounded with advertising for mattresses.

Re that second part, geolocation based advertising is certainly a thing through numerous methods (app tracking, geo fencing, beacons, et al).

Paging @tardigrade

 

[nvanprooyen]

You Googled it. Then saw it on Facebook. . . . .

Why did this happen? You use Google and Facebook. ?

Either use services that respect your privacy, or use popular services that share your activity then don't complain.

A lot of that location data comes from other apps as well. E.g. you install a weather app, and then they sell the geolocation data to networks for the purposes of retargeting via lat long data collected.

 

[Crystallas]

A lot of that location data comes from other apps as well. E.g. you install a weather app, and then they sell the geolocation data to networks for the purposes of retargeting via lat long data collected.

It's not just location data. Trackers use crumbs, cookies, socket data, and "leaked" databases(more like, sold insider information on different layers of either the dark web and/or Tor, because Tor is only a small part of the dark web). Services like Google, Facebook already store the data, they target based on activity too, regardless of what any writer for Wired or any other publication says. Helps to run an open platform where you can better audit your connections and see for yourself, otherwise it's all based on someones word. They have a bidder for an ad, their AI doesn't interpret, instead looks to hit keywords that will match the highest bid ads with the right combinations of hits. And Google has been doing that since 2004. Strangely enough, about the same time a lot of open web companies started to close source to limit their liabilities with PatAct compliance.

 

[HeHateMe]

Flip phone until it stops working. Phone is for talking and that is it. Other things can wait.

Your dog gives the same advice anyone would get from u.

 

[nvanprooyen]

It's not just location data. Trackers use crumbs, cookies, socket data, and "leaked" databases(more like, sold insider information on different layers of either the dark web and/or Tor, because Tor is only a small part of the dark web). Services like Google, Facebook already store the data, they target based on activity too, regardless of what any writer for Wired or any other publication says. Helps to run an open platform where you can better audit your connections and see for yourself, otherwise it's all based on someones word. They have a bidder for an ad, their AI doesn't interpret, instead looks to hit keywords that will match the highest bid ads with the right combinations of hits. And Google has been doing that since 2004. Strangely enough, about the same time a lot of open web companies started to close source to limit their liabilities with PatAct compliance.

And fingerprinting.

I get it, purely from the advertiser side. I've probably personally spent north of $50m over my career on the various platforms being discussed. From that perspective, and not having transparency into "how the sausage is made", the end goal is almost always return on ad spend (ROAS). Relevancy plays a crucial role with this. How they get there is up for debate both technically and ethically. Like it or not, advertisers are the financial backbone of the entire ecosystem. It has been said many times before - if you're not paying for the product, you are the product.

 

[KittiesKorner]

Re that second part, geolocation based advertising is certainly a thing through numerous methods (app tracking, geo fencing, beacons, et al).

Paging @tardigrade

Yep. And plenty of offline data that stores sell that is used to ‘triangulate’ a profile

 

[Hawkeye OG]

Flip phone until it stops working. Phone is for talking and that is it. Other things can wait.

10-4, dinosaur

 

[Ares]

@truthbedamned just wait until you start getting advertisements about things you think about but don't ever say out loud....

They are certainly listening through your phone and using your location as well. Wife and I went mattress shopping once and were in the store for like two hours. With 24 hours of that we both started getting hounded with advertising for mattresses.

I lmao when this happens, it just proves Google has so much fucking data on us they can do predictive analytics on what we might want, not just what we express interest in.

Goes like... me thinking "Man I could go for some chicken strips"

Google: "Hmmm Ares tends to get chicken strips on days that bookend a weekend, often around holidays when he is likely on PTO (probably day drinking), let's throw some chicken strip ads at him"

Me: "Fuck you Google, get outta my head!!!! Mmmm dem chicken strips do look good"

 

[Burque]

I lmao when this happens, it just proves Google has so much fucking data on us they can do predictive analytics on what we might want, not just what we express interest in.

Goes like... me thinking "Man I could go for some chicken strips"

Google: "Hmmm Ares tends to get chicken strips on days that bookend a weekend, often around holidays when he is likely on PTO (probably day drinking), let's throw some chicken strip ads at him"

Me: "Fuck you Google, get outta my head!!!! Mmmm dem chicken strips do look good"

Lately Google and Facebook think I should grow pot. I think it might be because of the 420 thread.

 

[truthbedamned]

Lately Google and Facebook think I should grow pot. I think it might be because of the 420 thread.

Glad I could help.

 

[Burque]

Glad I could help.

Thanks... I think.

I'm waiting for legalization to even consider something like that. Coming soon in New Mexico, supposedly in January, but I haven't seen the bill yet as it's all pre filled stuff at this point so hopefully it isn't the trash they tried to pass last year.