Ad tracking

[stealurface831]

Tried to find a thread but couldn't.

Okay, so we talk about something and then see an ad for it. Kinda creepy if you don't think about it at all but it makes sense. If you talk about something, that something is probably somehow related to or suggested by something else you've interacted with somewhere in your online activity. Still hard for me to fully grasp how an algorithm can figure all that shit out but whatever.

Earlier today, I was thinking about an old friend who goes to a school that I couldn't remember. I knew it was one of either two schools but wasn't sure which. I never looked at their instagram to confirm, I never googled either school, and I didn't think about them because I saw them on social media. It popped into my head, I thought about it for a second, came to the conclusion that I didn't care enough to look into the matter further, and left it at that.

Ten minutes ago I got an ad for one of the schools. Never seen an ad for this school, can't recall seeing an ad for any schools recently, and haven't searched or interacted with anything related to colleges in months. This is the quintessential no-name D3 school. It seems too eerie to be a coincidence.

Now I'm no tin foil hat wearer. I know ad agencies aren't reading our minds. But with this, and a few other similar instances over the past few months, it makes me wonder if they don't have an algorithm so spot on that it essentially predicts our thoughts pretty precisely every once in awhile.

This sounds absurd but I've heard others share similar anecdotes. Anyone else? Am I just becoming a fkn kook?

[rideit]

You got vaccinated, right?

[stealurface831]

You got vaccinated, right?

I know. It sounds ridiculous. Hesitated to post this.

I should add, I really don't care either way. Just think its interesting and want to know if anyone has had something similar happen.

[rideit]

I think that happens to all of us.

[stealurface831]

Then again, I also get multiple ads for McDonalds in spanish and google chrome, the browser that I am viewing the ad on, multiple times a day. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit.

[dan_pdx]

I could believe they know you're college age and have a friend attending that school - that could trigger a targeted ad.

[ghosthop]

I have not seen an ad in so long.

I have no apps on my phone that generate ads. The browser on my phone and my computer actively block as much tracking/ads as possible to still have a decent experience.

Why do you tolerate the constant intrusion?

[Thaleia]

It's long been rumored that social media apps listen to your conversations through your mobiles mic.

[AK47bp]

Shit. My mom called me last night and told me about her Niagara Falls trip. Couple hours later this pops up on my TGR app screen. It’s disgusting. I don’t use Facebook or instagram either.




Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[plugboots]

This morning my YouTube feed was half full of espresso machine descaling videos, (since I forgot how to do it yesterday), when it should be filled with Eva Green boob vids.

[yeahman]

Would you rather get ads for Niagara or Viagra? They're just trying to make it relevant to your life, which doesn't seem like a crime to me.

Ads are an intrusion, but that's what pays for content I value, so I tolerate them. Some people think they should get content for free so they block them. Good content is produced by humans and requires money to pay salaries, and since nobody wants to pay for subscriptions anymore, ads are what funds content.

[AK47bp]

Would you rather get ads for Niagara or Viagra? They're just trying to make it relevant to your life, which doesn't seem like a crime to me.

Ads are an intrusion, but that's what pays for content I value, so I tolerate them. Some people think they should get content for free so they block them. Good content is produced by humans and requires money to pay salaries, and since nobody wants to pay for subscriptions anymore, ads are what funds content.

Viagara.

The point isn’t I don’t want ads, I get it.

The point is the unauthorized surveillance, kinda the point of this thread.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Is it unauthorized? I never read the user agreement for my iPhone or anything else for that matter. Maybe the authorization is in there somewhere. I do know that there’s really no privacy anymore unless you disconnect and leave your phone behind.

[skaredshtles]

Viagara.

The point isn’t I don’t want ads, I get it.

The point is the unauthorized surveillance, kinda the point of this thread.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

You can't even USE a mobile phone without authorizing it. There's nothing unauthorized about it.

[AK47bp]

Is it unauthorized? I never read the user agreement for my iPhone or anything else for that matter. Maybe the authorization is in there somewhere. I do know that there’s really no privacy anymore unless you disconnect and leave your phone behind.

Who knows.

I get it if I’m searching stuff on my phone. But listening and recording conversations seems a bit much.

My phone settings are as locked down and you can get.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[yeahman]

Who knows.

I get it if I’m searching stuff on my phone. But listening and recording conversations seems a bit much.

My phone settings are as locked down and you can get.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

It's not really surveillance. Nobody cares about you personally except in relation to what you might buy. It's not like somebody is in a room somewhere looking at your info and thinking "Oh hey listen to what Joe was talking about! Let's show him this ad!"

Now if you're researching how to blow up an FBI office or something, then somebody might be surveilling you personally.

[Cisco Kid]

I disagree with the OP on this.
"I know ad agencies aren't reading our minds."

I know why ads pop up about "Mature single women near you" but too many times ads pop up about what I recently talked about or thought of. Spooky.

[AK47bp]

It's not really surveillance. Nobody cares about you personally except in relation to what you might buy. It's not like somebody is in a room somewhere looking at your info and thinking "Oh hey listen to what Joe was talking about! Let's show him this ad!"

Now if you're researching how to blow up an FBI office or something, then somebody might be surveilling you personally.

Just remembered that this was a Google DUO video chat, not a phone call so makes more sense. I’m sure Google was listening for key words.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[highangle]

And Bradley Snowden is happily living in Russia now because why? Oh yeah, tracking cookies...


On a related note, what if the government listened in like Google or Facebook and delivered personalized services based on your keywords?

[jono]

On a related note, what if the government listened in like Google or Facebook and delivered personalized services based on your keywords?

Like "abortion?"

Or what if the government didn't listen to anything, they just bought all this "publicly available" data whenever they wanted, including anything with those keywords?

[skaredshtles]

Just remembered that this was a Google DUO video chat, not a phone call so makes more sense. I’m sure Google was listening for key words.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Just try saying, "OK, Google" to your phone. It's listening ALL the time.

[chicken feathers]

^ right

I'll get lax in my internet hygiene every couple weeks, then I'll start using private browsing, clearing out web data etc. I'm no expert by any means, but those simple steps do make a noticeable difference in ads I see.
Once I clear things out it's sorta entertaining to see the generic ads while trackers rebuild my profile.

[highangle]

Viagara.

The point isn’t I don’t want ads, I get it.

The point is the unauthorized surveillance, kinda the point of this thread.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Anyone not running Firefox + uBlock Origin + I Don't Care About Cookies right now is wasting time and hosting a cloud of trackers. Tor Browser if you really don't want to be tracked from one session/tab to the next. Just read up and understand Tor before you snivel about CloudFlare...

[EWG]

This explains why I keep getting ads for alcohol immediately after I read the Browns thread.

My sister-in-law loves targeted ads. She figures she's gonna get ads anyway, she might as well see stuff she's interested in. I applaud her positive outlook on life.

[rideit]

You get ads for Utica Club Pounders yet?