We really are being spied on!!!

[EddieWalker]

Wednesday night, my wife and I are watching a show on Discovery called the Foods that Built America. During a part about Kellogg's and how they invented Granola and then Flake cereal, I told my wife that it would be funny if I started getting adds on FB about Kellogg's cereal. Neither of us have bought or eaten cereal in decades. I forgot about it yesterday, but I was only on the computer for a little bit. This morning, I'm on FB and all of a sudden, a HUGE add appears for Kellogg's Raisin Bran Toasted Oats cereal!!!!! I just about fell out of my seat and I had to get my wife over to see it for herself.

We have Alexa. She is spying on us!!!!!

 

[Bearsixty7]

Yep, Alexia supposedly is listening to key marketing words I have heard/read. I have also heard some iPhones do the same. Haven't heard if the Androids do.
Based on your experience, I'd say you confirmed the Alexa part.

 

[TheMan419]

Yep, Alexia supposedly is listening to key marketing words I have heard/read. I have also heard some iPhones do the same. Haven't heard if the Androids do.
Based on your experience, I'd say you confirmed the Alexa part.

The iphone absolutely does. We get ads all the time for things we talked about that I know I have not searched for on my phone or computer.

 

[Tomtint]

Its been going on for years. About 7-8 years ago a friend of mine was telling me about how it was going to work and I just couldn't grasp it, or understand it. Now I see it. The other things you may notice is when you are shopping and pick something up and look at it. Then put it down without purchasing it....yep..you will see adds for that item in your social media accounts.

 

[TractorGuy]

Yeah, I tried turning it off for a while but then none of my google apps worked as I was accustomed to. I gave in and decided for the sake of having their search and maps function the best I had to let them spy on my every conversation.

Some stuff I do I leave my phone out of the room.

 

[oldballs]

I wonder what good those pages and pages of Hippa notices are about?...... I get the feeling that the whole world knows more about me than I know about myself
Cheers,
Mike

 

[ericm979]

HIPAA is about privacy of health care data only. GDPR is a set of EU privacy regulations which don't affect people in the US much. California recently passed the CCPA which now that (I think) it's out of court should result in some improvement of on line privacy. So far all I have seen from it is that many web sites now let you turn off trackers. I was already blocking them with browser plugins. I don't think that phone apps are affected.

Phone apps are often much more privacy-invasive than web sites viewed from a computer. Phone OSes are designed to give much more access to personal data than PCs and there's a lot more data available on phones. For example many apps will download your contacts lists, and track your GPS locations. Many apps sell access to third parties to data mine your phone. If you care about your privacy it's best to minimize your use of phone apps.

 

[grsthegreat]

That’s why I won’t have Alexa junk, ring junk, etc in my home. No way, no how

 

[Industrial Toys]

Keep black tape over the lenses of your phone camera too. Wish I knew how to deactivate the mic but still use the phone.

 

[NorTracNY]

Why do you think they sell those listening devices so cheap? Their primary purpose if to target advertising to you. I would never buy one of those devices.

I hate even the phone. It makes me hesitant to research something for someone else. I don't want adds for something I have no interest in. I have installed a separate private browser on my phone just to look up things to help other people.