More proof that google is invasive.

Cobra

Cobra

In Memoriam. TPer Emeritus
Admin
Messages
115,214
Name
The real Chris
Edit My Images
No
Many years ago, I had an interest in "Aquascaping"
I've not even given it any thought for a good couple of years.

A couple of days ago, I decided to have another look
Today my FB feed contains at least half a dozen links & images for Aquascaping!
 
I'm sure it can read minds too :runaway:. I have a fence repair that needs doing but as of yet, I've not searched online for, or mentioned materials at home, so it's not that Alexa has been listening.

2 days ago, I had Postcrete coming up on my FB feed.
 
Cobra said:
Many years ago, I had an interest in "Aquascaping"
I've not even given it any thought for a good couple of years.

A couple of days ago, I decided to have another look
Today my FB feed contains at least half a dozen links & images for Aquascaping!
Click to expand...


As you've said in the past, if something's free, you're the payment.

Not having FB, I don't get any links through it and the ads that come through my gmail addies don't seem to be related to my searches.
 
Nod said:
As you've said in the past, if something's free, you're the payment.
Click to expand...
Yes it appeared on FB, but it was a google search.
 
Cobra said:
Many years ago, I had an interest in "Aquascaping"
I've not even given it any thought for a good couple of years.

A couple of days ago, I decided to have another look
Today my FB feed contains at least half a dozen links & images for Aquascaping!
Click to expand...
Equally likely to be facebook tracking images on the sites you ended up visiting, because I start getting holiday adverts when I go straight to a holiday company's website without google involved (and not using Chrome either).
 
It's dangerous, my Mrs occasionally asks WTF have I bought now from Wex as for some reason their ads pop up on her Facebook if i've been on their site. I don't care about them feeding me ads but when it turns into a grass that's serious stuff !!!
 
onomatopoeia said:
Equally likely to be facebook tracking images on the sites you ended up visiting,
Click to expand...
I never ended up on facebook, from any of the images, but I take your point.
Both are as bad as each other.
 
onomatopoeia said:
Equally likely to be facebook tracking images on the sites you ended up visiting, because I start getting holiday adverts when I go straight to a holiday company's website without google involved (and not using Chrome either).
Click to expand...

Many sites use google analytics software to count visitor numbers and to see how customers are arriving at their site (via google, booking.com style sites, other links or direct)…

They then use this data to work out where to spend their marketing funds.
 
For those using tablets/phones the data from the keyboard can also be used to feed FB/Google - if the author of the keyboard app has baked in FB/Google analytics...

My OH mentioned something to her mum once, solely in Telegram (I think it was) and immediately plagued by ads for it.
 
Last edited:
hunnymonster said:
For those using tablets/phones the data from the keyboard can also be used to feed FB/Google - if the author of the keyboard app has baked in FB/Google analytics...
Click to expand...
Laptop or PC ( windows) here.
I rarely use my (android) phone for the internet, and I'd certainly never use it for anything important, or personal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
Using Duck Duck Go, again, has really brought my attention back to the amount of tracking that is attempted, and blocked by it.
 
velocette said:
Using Duck Duck Go, again, has really brought my attention back to the amount of tracking that is attempted, and blocked by it.
Click to expand...
Using Brave Browser, I'm never quite sure if this is real or not.
It scary if it is.

Capture.JPG
 
Me and Mrs WW have different online interests. I google photography stuff, cars, watches, movies and music and sometimes google because of something on the news or wider TV. Mrs WW likes keep fit, cooking, camping, growing plants, fruit and veg, clothes, educational courses and health and meditation.

Very often when I'm on line I see ads with young women scantily clad in keep fit clothing on various keep fit gear or posed in underwear. And no, I haven't googled these :D This must be because although we use different computers as we each have our own we use the same Virgin internet.

I did try Duck Duck but it stopped me going on some sites.
 
I get loads of adverts for bamboo boxer shorts on my FB feed. I've never googled or even spoken about bamboo boxer shorts!
 
Marc said:
I get loads of adverts for bamboo boxer shorts on my FB feed. I've never googled or even spoken about bamboo boxer shorts!
Click to expand...
I've heard of bamboo under the fingernails as torture but bamboo boxers?
My testicles have just retracted :D
 
Cobra said:
I've heard of bamboo under the fingernails as torture but bamboo boxers?
My testicles have just retracted :D
Click to expand...
Yeah, it does sound rather uncomfortable, but looking at the price of them, they'll do more damage to your bank account!
 
I suppose that the truth is that it's the internet that's invasive rather than any particular sites/engines. Being targeted by ads is a relatively small price to pay for the potential benefits.
 
As for the bamboo clothing, I have several items made from fibre derived from it and they're very comfortable and (so far!) hard wearing.
 
Anyone see that news piece recently about people getting the DPD chat bot to swear at them and slag the company off and the guy in the USA who got a bot to offer to sell him a car for $1? Proof maybe that the future might hold a problem or three.
 
Nod said:
I suppose that the truth is that it's the internet that's invasive rather than any particular sites/engines. Being targeted by ads is a relatively small price to pay for the potential benefits.
Click to expand...
Targeted ads, although a PITA are not really the issue,
rather its the potential "big brother" watching your every move that goes with it.
 
But your mobile phone has been tracking you for years, as has your bank card, ANPR cameras, CCTV etc..
 
Cobra said:
No it hasn't. Its not connected to the internet until I'm home
Click to expand...

It's constantly communicating its location to whichever masts are closest so can be used to triangulate your position.
 
Cobra said:
You mean like



:D
Click to expand...

It's all innocent stuff. Nothing worse than you'd have seen possibly seen in the catalogues many of us or our parents used decades ago. I don't know the technicalities but Duck Duck definitely completely stopped me going to some sites that had ad banners. One ad that crops up with scantily clad women is Temu. We've bought mainly camping stuff from them but they also sell sports clothing and underwear.

Just now.

Untitled-1.jpg
 
Nod said:
It's constantly communicating its location to whichever masts are closest so can be used to triangulate your position.
Click to expand...
Well its not very good at it, when I needed the AA for the van, the operator kept telling me I was at a location 5 miles away.
it took an age to convince her she was wrong.
 
Last edited:
arclight said:

Google agrees to settle $5bn lawsuit claiming it secretly tracked users​


www.theguardian.com

Google agrees to settle $5bn lawsuit claiming it secretly tracked users

Plaintiffs allege their activity was tracked even when they set Chrome to ‘incognito’ and other browsers to ‘private’ mode
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com




Does Google not also have a connection to the Android operating system.
Click to expand...
Must have as I answered a post on here saying that Rollei cameras were made in Singapore and the next time I logged onto my Yahoo email page there was an advert for Singapore Airways on the banner. Similar things happen all the time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top