To be suspicious my smartphone listens in on my conversations

[ToddlersAndCoffee]

Am I being unreasonable to suspicious that our smart phones are listning to us?

Basically, for a long time now I've noticed that I'll have a conversation with someone in real life and later go onto the internet (generally mumsnet) and the adverts will be things from said conversation?! It happens way to often to be coincidence and it really freaks me out! These things I KNOW I have never searched for ever. This happens alot, I'll be talking to someone about something compleatly random, sometimes things I'd never heard of previously, go onto my internet and there in my adverts is the random thing I mentioned!

Please tell me someone else has experienced this and I'm not going crazy

I have! It's so creepy

I've thought this about Google Chrome on my phone...watching with interest!

Yes I've had this too...

It's true.

A few friends of mine have mentioned this actually. Like, really smart people, who I'd never expect to be one for conspiracy theories.

Your phone smart TVs etc all listen at varying degree

My phone definitely does. I thought I'd sound bonkers for mentioning it though

In short yes it does. But only so it can target stuff at you.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35639549

Go to your app settings and turn off the microphone on them. Facebook messenger I think is the big culprit

Ive definitely experienced it before.

Have also recently noticed something i searched for on my computer and my wifi completely random (orange spatuala if anyone remembers the thread) a few days later i went to my mums house different computer different wifi and an amazon advert popped up for an orange spatuala!! That freaked me out as i dont understand how it got linked?!

I can't say I've noticed it in relation speaking conversations (not phone calls) but I definitely have noticed ads popping up that are about things I've mentioned in text messages. It's creepy and weird, and without going back to a flip phone I don't know what to do about it!

I'm sure my Virgin box listens to us. Only had it a couple of months and within days we were getting targeted ads for random stuff we'd talked about.

Anything else such as the tv and our phones are switched off. Didn't happen with Sky.

I'm certain this has happened to me.

I'm convinced they do listen. I was talking to my DH about how relaxing the sound of rain is and 10 minutes later, there were adverts on my phone for rain apps. I found loads of similar stories when I googled it but apparently it's all a coincidence. Bollocks.

I have not noticed this-does this only happen on android or do iPhones do it too? I'm a bit worried about what I say around d my phone now. Eek!

Yes and it's probably Facebook messenger that's the culprit. You can turn off different apps' permissions to access your microphone on your phone. Make sure they're all off, or else yes, they're listening to you.

The only advert I get is for fairy laundry liquid, I must spend far too long talking about fairies.

Yesterday I was looking into getting a train to an event, but then decided to drive and bought a parking ticket in advance for the venue. My phone now has a reminder in the diary that I have a ticket to this event with the time, date and place just from buying a parking ticket on the internet ????

Omg I'd never thought of this before. I'm checking all my apps now. That's freaky!

Happens to me CONSTANTLY on my phone and laptop.

For example, my laptop suggested an ad for something DH and I spoke about in the car, a completely random, off the wall idea (becoming long-haul lorry drivers, something we'd never actually do and have NEVER spoken about before or since), and when we got home, there was an ad for lorry driving school! Scared the pants off me.

Since then, these things happen frequently. I absolutely cannot stand it. Makes me feel like a tin hat wearing paranoid - only it's certainly real!

It does. Turn off microphone permissions on your apps. Warning: your phone won't like this and will try to intimidate you into allowing it again!

Interesting. I got load of ads about older folks dating sites after DH died. I used his Facebook page to announce his death. Cheeky fuckers.

www.core77.com/posts/67981/Facebook-Messenger-and-Other-Apps-are-Listening-to-You-Through-Your-Phone-Heres-How-to-Turn-the-Microphone-Off

Claims, counter claims and link to snopes about this very thing

I have this with our Smart tv. You know how there's the function on your remote to give a program you like a thumbs up and ones you don't like a thumbs down? We NEVER use that function, yet when I turn on progs it sometimes has thumbs up and down on it. Also, I talk about a program or film and then I see in the "You may like" section at the top of the Virgin to guide page that the show or film will appear in there!

If you're on android, go to Google settings, ads, and opt out of interest based ads, and reset your advertising ID too. Should help a bit.

Also, install an ad blocker if your can, it's a game changer!

Yes it does and there is a clinical trial underway that uses the tone of your voice and the words you say to determine if someone with bipolar is going into a dip and diagnose depression.