To be freaked out a little by Amazon?

[GinNeeded]

I'd heard that smart phones listened in to conversations to target advertising but dismissed it as tinfoil hat territory. People must have googled stuff, browsed etc

I popped on Amazon last night and random stuff I had chatted to the kids about in the day was in the 'recommended for you' section.

Including but not limited to:
*Old fashioned fly sticky strip, liked I'd hung in the kitchen (whats that?
isn't that cruel mummy?)

*Bug zapper ( can we get an electronic fly trap, like a tennis bat)

*Chlorine filter (could we put our pet fish in the swimming pool on holiday?)

*Muffin cases (What can I use to make a rosette?)

*Plastic Sapphires (What are those blue jewels on the real plastic gold pirate treasure?)

None of the above was searched for at all.

I understand targeted adverts, I realise that when I actively go online I am leaving a foot print, but chatting crap with the kids?

Now I am concerned about what else it hears and where that information goes!

We don't have an Echo or voice activated thing-a-me bobs either.

AIBU to not have realised this?

I was just trying to predict the next level of ridiculousness. Like you said, it's highly unlikely that the garden water ornament was described in specific detail enough for Facebook to have recognised it during its secret listening in... so how did Facebook know they'd seen it? 🙄

I've just been talking into my phone , I have said 'camping' 'curtains' 'plates' and other random stuff , nothing is coming up on Amazon linked to these things - I feel cheated !

Ah got it!

topsyanddim - the way this thread is going, you were right to check!

My recommendations today on things I've recently viewed (which I haven't) are Frontline, cat flap, pet mit and pet fountain. I don't have a cat anymore but I did watch a cat video posted on Facebook which I shared.

TroysMammy and that is how tracking cookies work!

@raviolidreaming exactly - there’s not a whole lot of logic being displayed!

@troysmammy what’s your point?!

GladAllOver

There is of course no conspiracy whatever. Who suggested it? I certainly didn't. Facebook uses the data on the phone to serve up appropriate adverts and links. One of those data is what the microphone hears. It's no different to location data or your messages that Facebook reads. Just part of your life that you sign over to FB.

Please see my first point- in order for this to be true there would have to be a conspiracy. They have categorically denied ‘listening’ and recording or using such data. They use the microphone only for voice activated commands, voice messages etc depending on the platform. If they were to use it for what people are suggesting they would be in huge breach.

PattiStranger

Justbereasonable - you are ignoring the fact that facebook or whoever might be simply researching or testing whether the technology works. No one has to be paying for adverts now, it could be that they plan to charge in the future once the technology can be proven to work.

So you think:

1. Facebook, google etc are currently running huge scale secret tests, massively breaking laws and outright lying to consumers, whilst keeping all the involved employees quiet about it

1. They will later change permissions to become legal, alerting everyone

1. They will then tell advertisers they can do amazing things with all this currently illegal data - “ok Facebook, but how do I know it’s worth the money?” ... “well we have some example sales data here based on tests we did- but don’t tell anyone as we were breaking the law”

Realllllllly?

Yes @justbereasonable that’s a plain insane theory. Plus you missed the bit where it would mean they’re serving ads for free for advertisers currently....without their knowledge.....again, sigh

On the one hand I really enjoy these threads and how utterly bonkers they are, on the other hand it makes me despair that A) So many people have no critical thinking ability, and B) Some many people have so little knowledge of how technology and advertising targeting works.

Your phone listening to you full time, uploading the data, analysing what you say and serving you adverts is way more complicated (and expensive!) than what actually happens.

topsyanddim no need to be so agressive.

@topsyanddim that was a point I made earlier- Patti’s explanation was that they’re not charging because they might just be testing it!

I am a critical thinker thank you very much. I just struggle with the fact that an entirely obscure item with no link to me happens to appear after I have seen said object and discussed it. Its just so disconcerting. And let's not forget that privacy and facebook are at odds... Cambridge analytical?

Maybe , stop using Facebook as it seems to be the main perpetrator in all of this, delete it and get rid of it's apps and see if it stops - you won't regret it

Facebook
Facebook
Facebook

Delete it!

gardeninspiring

Cambridge Analytica.

And whilst FB were at fault because they didn’t have the right safeguards in place they certainly didn’t authorise what happened - a 3rd party got access to their data and abused it. It’s completely different.

And it’s also all the more reason why they’re not illegally and secretly listening to people talking about wood lamps to serve them adverts that no-one has paid for about wood lamps.