Proof that Facebook is listening

[SarahM1987]

Yes, one of my co-workers got new tires on her jeep for this winter and she mentioned the name of the tire store. I never said it out loud, nor did I search for it on my phone or my laptop, and yet I had ads for that single store on IG and FB. Creepy and disturbing just doesn't quite cover it!!

 

[crazylady]

Duplicate

 

[crazylady]

Not facebook but today my husband I went shopping for a wheeled laptop carrier and the next time I opened google, I had as for them.

 

[Diznotyzed]

We don't have any home assistants, and my computer wasn't even open. My husband was running to the store and asked if I wanted anything. I answered "just some bulk almonds, they don't need to be Blue Almond, or anything". He left, I popped open Facebook and got an ad for Blue Diamond almonds.

 

[DVCjj]

We had an amazon echo for a bit and played music through it. One day we were listening to Pandora and I got annoyed at the dismal music and griped, "This music is so depressing I can't take it," next song was, "Don't Worry Be Happy." I got up, unplugged the little freakish thing and it was banished. I sort of suspect the Firestick is the same thing, I just don't know it yet.

That totally gives me the creeps. Checked into a lovely upscale hotel on the beach last year for a 4 night stay and on the nightstand I noticed an Amazon whatever-it's-called. And a sign that said 'Do Not Unplug or Turn Off" I marched right down to the lobby and I said if you don't remove it, I was literally checking out that instant. They ran upstairs and took it out of the room.

I despise them and I despise having creepy appropriate ads pop up while and after searching....but.....the Facebook and private conversations (not on it anymore and never will be again) honestly gives me literal chills.

I have a sister (PhD in psychology, college professor etc. etc. ) that doesn't touch technology as much as humanly possible. Pays cash for everything possible. Has a credit card and doesn't use. I always told her she was paranoid and abnormal. Slowly but surely, I'm coming over to her side. I'm smart enough to know it happens daily but I'm also smart enough to hate it. and avoid what little I can or still have control over.

 

[gopher101]

Yes. I was talking to a coworker the other day about some games I won called werewolf's of London. She was describing it, and I said it was like Murder Mystery. Murder Mystery was my ad that night.

 

[bjscheel]

DD22 told me she couldn't find the bouillon I buy but she found Better than Bouillon at Walmart. The next day I had an ad for Better than Bouillon on IG.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I went to an employee craft fair at my work and someone had beautiful quilts. I told my friend that I would love to join a quilting group. (I don't really have sewing skills, but the thought of sitting around with a group of friends to make a quilt sounds like a nice way to pass the time.) A couple of days later an ad for learning to make quilts showed up on Facebook. I didn't click on it and haven't seen it since.

I tend to click 'hide ad' for every ad that comes up because I was doing a search on Google, or looking at random websites, and choose irrelevant as the reason.

 

[amcnj]

I have also seen “news” stories pop up on news sites I frequent about topics I have recently emailed or texted about. And again, rather obscure or specific things.

 

[La Stilla]

Happens to me too, all the time. This is why I *hate* social media & google, and I've tried to get away from em, but I am too addicted since currently I am out of a job, so stays a lot of free time.
Indeed freaky.

 

[mousefan73]

I’m not gonna comment if we are being spied on or not. I can only say that in a lot of circumstances where we would assume we are being spied on - we actually are not. We have given that data away ourselves activity or without realism it- 99% of the time legally. I know so many smart TV owners who just skip through the set up process and hit next next next and don’t realize what they’re accepting.

I work in BI business intelligence. AI and algorithms are getting really - really good nowadays. Based on past “cloud” activity you can really accurately estimate what interest a person may have or themselves not even realize they have. We leave online foot prints more than we think we do. It’s a lot more than just Google searching.

 

[angelmav]

Have this happen all the time. But with multiple iPhones/iPads etc, we basically have open mikes all over. Need to keep this in mind before trying to take over the world.

 

[AnnaS]

I think they are listening and watching.

My DH does not have an iPhone - I do. He keeps asking me why he gets ads/youtube videos pop up - after I discuss a subject with him or search the web on the subject.
I would bet money that "private messages" on FB or message boards are not private. Moderators for both have access to them - nothing is private.
I have emails - Flight info., check-in info. and it pops up on my phone screen as a reminder.
We all know that as soon as we google anything, it will pop up on every screen we are looking at (FB, message boards/IG, etc.)
Yes, most of the time, our information/likes, etc. is in the system. Those robots (or whatever they are called) are working in there. Anyone can control your computer, smart phone from a different location. It is crazy how much control someone else has. Yes, the PP is right - we sign away all our rights without reading

Pretty soon, we will just have to "think" of something and they will be able to know.

 

[Poohlove]

Yes happens to me all of the time but on my IG feed. I don’t have Facebook.

Same here but Pinterest is even worse!! Sometime I think that Pinterest can read minds.

 

[sam_gordon]

Anyone can control your computer, smart phone from a different location.

With your permission and knowledge.

 

[luvsvacation]

I’m not gonna comment if we are being spied on or not. I can only say that in a lot of circumstances where we would assume we are being spied on - we actually are not. We have given that data away ourselves activity or without realism it- 99% of the time legally. I know so many smart TV owners who just skip through the set up process and hit next next next and don’t realize what they’re accepting.

I work in BI business intelligence. AI and algorithms are getting really - really good nowadays. Based on past “cloud” activity you can really accurately estimate what interest a person may have or themselves not even realize they have. We leave online foot prints more than we think we do. It’s a lot more than just Google searching.

I have no doubt this is true. Clearly it is, I’ve had the same thing happen where I mention something to a friend and suddenly have an ad for it. Aside from being creepy though it doesn’t bother me too much. Not enough to get rid of any devices anyway. I figure if they are collecting this info on everyone there’s not much “danger” to it. What are they going to do the knowledge that I like to eat raw cookie dough other than send me ads for how to buy it.

 

[tvguy]

Yup. That's how we all get to use Facebook and the Disney Boards for free. Targeted ads. My son works in computer IT and would get clients complaining about the ads they were getting for things that offended them. He would look at the browsing history and point out "well someone used this computer on this date at this time to look at websites on that topic"

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Yup. That's how we all get to use Facebook and the Disney Boards for free. Targeted ads. My son works in computer IT and would get clients complaining about the ads they were getting for things that offended them. He would look at the browsing history and point out "well someone used this computer on this date at this time to look at websites on that topic"

It happens when I don’t look the item up on Google. It happens when I just talk to someone about a certain item.

 

[Kittyblue]

I know I’ve had targeted ads on Facebook about topics I’ve only talked about and never searched. I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but my friends and I have discussed this, it happens to them as well.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Not on FB, but on Google, and on my laptop, not my phone. Yesterday morning, my FIL suddenly passed away. I was talking to my mother in-person about what to tell my 5-year-old. An hour or so later, I opened my laptop (which was in another room), went to Google, and started to type in "how to talk to 5-year-old..." and it finished it for me, "about death of a grandparent." It just really struck me that that was the very first thing to come up, even though my laptop had been shut off, no internet open, in another room when I'd mentioned it.