Page 2 | Woah.. My online searches popping up on DHs laptop almost immediately!

Chocchops72 · 2023-02-18T20:31:59+00:00

So we talked about changing our son's bedroom furniture. We were both sitting near each other, using separate laptops. I'm browsing on Chrome, he's doing the same. I searched for single beds, IKEA. Within 30 seconds his advertising banners had filled up with single beds from IKEA. I then searched for room dividers.. and lo and behold seconds later his advertising changed from beds to room dividers. We've had a bit of overlap in the past, but always explained it as coincidence, or we had genuinely searched for the same thing at some point. Is this normal? How do we stop this? I'd like a bit of privacy in my online life - and I'm sure he would too! We use separate logins, separate laptops and rarely / never use each others. Help!

ElliF · 18/02/2023 22:59

Chocchops72 · 18/02/2023 21:27

You have a joint Amazon Prime account on both devices and therefor the cookies on one device are updated on the cloud and synchronised with your other devices.

Hmm DH recently ditched his Prime account to save money, and used mine this afternoon by logging into my Amazon account on his laptop. he's logged out since, and logged back into his own account.. but would this do it? He also logs into both Amazon acounts to check our budget / spending. He's always on Safari though, and I use Chrome.

We don't have Alexa and don't use Siri but I guess it could be listening anyway.
But we did some trials of things we haven't mentioned out loud and they still pop up so it's definitely whatever is being typed rather than spoken.

Bloody hell.

No.
Just don’t go browsing new toys.
Unless you are prepared to take your privacy seriously, assume you have none.
Now you understand what cloud computing is, where your Clubcard discount comes from, and why Amazon devices are always on discount.
You are a commodity and there are hundreds of companies selling access to you and everything you do online.

MrsMikeDrop · 18/02/2023 23:12

Phones definitely listen. I was talking to my husband about Pythagoras Theorum of all random things, next thing I have an ad for it pop up. Seriously disturbing 😐

User57632678 · 18/02/2023 23:55

My job requires me to book hotels or meeting venues quite often which I do using my work laptop and will then find those same hotels and venues being advertised to me later that day on my personal phone, despite the two not being connected in any way.

I also walked past a closed Canada Goose store when I was in Toronto which prompted a conversation with the people I was with about the brand and then later that evening we all had ads for them on our phones. It’s all very strange.

EmmaEmerald · 19/02/2023 00:02

User57632678 · 18/02/2023 23:55

My job requires me to book hotels or meeting venues quite often which I do using my work laptop and will then find those same hotels and venues being advertised to me later that day on my personal phone, despite the two not being connected in any way.

I also walked past a closed Canada Goose store when I was in Toronto which prompted a conversation with the people I was with about the brand and then later that evening we all had ads for them on our phones. It’s all very strange.

Again, not creepy

many explanations here and this article is three years old. I think the short answer is Bluetooth, which I never have enabled.

www.vox.com/recode/2019/12/19/21011527/retail-tracking-apps-wifi-bluetooth-facebook-ads

even the bank has a sign up saying they track your presence by your mobile.

EmmaEmerald · 19/02/2023 00:05

This might also be of interest

www.mcnuttpartners.com/why-we-see-digital-ads-after-talking-about-something/

GoodyAddams · 19/02/2023 00:05

Incognito mode and delete your history constantly.

FredInYourHead · 19/02/2023 00:10

GoodyAddams · 19/02/2023 00:05

Incognito mode and delete your history constantly.

Damn you beat me to it.
YY to incognito mode 🕵️😎

DemiColon · 19/02/2023 00:32

EmmaEmerald · 19/02/2023 00:02

Again, not creepy

many explanations here and this article is three years old. I think the short answer is Bluetooth, which I never have enabled.

www.vox.com/recode/2019/12/19/21011527/retail-tracking-apps-wifi-bluetooth-facebook-ads

even the bank has a sign up saying they track your presence by your mobile.

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What you have described is precisely what people find creepy.

EmmaEmerald · 19/02/2023 00:42

DemiColon · 19/02/2023 00:32

What you have described is precisely what people find creepy.

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Oh, I mean it is creepy, but it's not something that is woo IYSWIM.

EmmaEmerald · 19/02/2023 00:43

Also, people who experience this are using Bluetooth or free wifi elsewhere, which is kind of like opting in.

Jadviga · 19/02/2023 00:52

You need to :

Regularly clear cookies
Use adblockers
Use different account for everything (for instance, if a website offers to log in with your facebook account, don't. Create a new account.)
Don't enable stuff like Alexa, Ok google or anything of the sort

Silentmama · 19/02/2023 01:00

Chocchops72 · 18/02/2023 21:27

You have a joint Amazon Prime account on both devices and therefor the cookies on one device are updated on the cloud and synchronised with your other devices.

Hmm DH recently ditched his Prime account to save money, and used mine this afternoon by logging into my Amazon account on his laptop. he's logged out since, and logged back into his own account.. but would this do it? He also logs into both Amazon acounts to check our budget / spending. He's always on Safari though, and I use Chrome.

We don't have Alexa and don't use Siri but I guess it could be listening anyway.
But we did some trials of things we haven't mentioned out loud and they still pop up so it's definitely whatever is being typed rather than spoken.

Bloody hell.

Did you know - you can add a family member to prime - so you each get the prime perks (delivery screens etc) but can't see what the other has ordered?

It's in the settings you add 1 adult to your account.

DemiColon · 19/02/2023 01:01

EmmaEmerald · 19/02/2023 00:42

Oh, I mean it is creepy, but it's not something that is woo IYSWIM.

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Ah, I see. I don't think people think it's woo, generally, although I remember a few years ago a lot of people denying that it happened, Alexa didn't listen, and so on.

People know it's how the tech works, they just don't like it.

EmmaEmerald · 19/02/2023 01:03

Demi I remember that too. Especially on here. Posters saying Alexa can't be listening till it hears the wake up word...!

Forgottenmypasswordagain · 19/02/2023 01:30

Same ip address is why I thought.

ElliF · 19/02/2023 03:45

Lol. Someone mentions Facebook. It never occurred to me people would be using FB too. I thought everyone knew what FB do! That’s a bad thing to have on any device.