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?

interestingly.. am holiday at present, hot and can't find the iron in the villa. I have exclaimed aloud at this. My first two recommendations on Amazon are a Phillips steam iron and an oscillating fan... that's one hell of a coincidence and I haven't been online looking for either, on any website !

It's never happened to me but I'm not concerned, I've got bigger issues in life to deal with such as looking after my daughter.

The rest of us aren't neglecting out children while we chat about this. What a strange comment

No one is saying that I'm saying, you're very defensive. It's not significant in my life and shouldn't be in anyone else's either.

Its prob part of the Facebook third party apps scandal isn’t it? So Facebook can say ‘its not me guv’ because we have all given permission to third party apps (unwittingly) to collect vast amounts of data about us. This quote is in a long article linked from dm

‘Just weeks ago, for example, MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe bragged that the company stores 'an enormous amount of information' about users, and even tracks where they go after the movies‘

www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5576835/Facebook-finally-lets-remove-party-vampire-apps-BULK.html

Glad all over people on this th read are saying categorically that doesn't happen.
Meh. I'm giving the simple, correct explanation. If anyone wishes to discount the obvious, it's up to them.

Using the FB app, you give them permission to look and listen to everything on your phone. It's how they work.

Facebook isn't a public service. It makes money by using your personal data. It's what they do.

And they have been sending screenshots www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/smartphone-apps-do-not-listen-to-your-conversations-but-they-do-something-equally-creepy/story/279907.html

I'm not defensive. You're reading things that aren't there

Nothing would surprise me since I have found that Google tracks and records your whereabouts even if you have location tracking history turned off

Ok!!!! So where are the microphone settings for Samsung galaxy S8? X

I had a phone call with my mother in law on weds morning and she told me how she was looking for a certain item that was for sale in argos and Ikea. Whilst we were on the phone I received an email from Argos advertising those exact products? I’d personally not searched for that item myself and was completely spooked out!

My DH is doing some work at a local charity this week. Their adverts have suddenly been popping up on my facebook feed. I had never heard of them until this week, gave not googled them and am not in anyway related to the demographic they support.

I'm interested what the explanation might be for the charity adverts from the posters who say it can't happen. I assume you 'd spoken about it, you're not suggesting mind reading

Whilst we were on the phone I received an email from Argos advertising those exact products? I’d personally not searched for that

Shops do typically advertise sale items... This is really not that surprising at all- I am surprised you seriously think there’s more to it!

My DH is doing some work at a local charity this week. Their adverts have suddenly been popping up on my facebook feed.

Shared device (laptop, iPad, phone, smart tv etc) or one of you logged into an account on the other’s device. Subsequent ‘cookie contamination’ from your husband to your Facebook. Simple

I had a phone call with my mother in law on weds morning and she told me how she was looking for a certain item that was for sale in argos and Ikea. Whilst we were on the phone I received an email from Argos advertising those exact products? I’d personally not searched for that item myself and was completely spooked out!

I work in digital advertising and am LOL'ing at the fact that you think something like this would a.actually happen (email is not a cookie served ad, you have to be on their list, someone pulls the email together, products to be advertiser decided etc) b. be implemented instantaneously and c.not be a coincidence. Sale items tend to be advertised.....

A family member works in the search engine optimisation world, so I asked them, expecting them to guffaw, rationalise and debunk It for me, putting my mind at rest. Well that didn't happen....

"Oh no, it's definitely true. I've had it happen to me. If you have Alexa or Google Assistant or something similar, it's set to be on constantly, to always listen so that they can pick up on what you're saying, just in case you say 'hey Alexa' or 'hey Google'. Just yesterday I was sat having a meeting in our conference room, and Alexa started talking about what I'd been speaking about, with no cue, no mention of her name... nothing. I've been talking about things before and then had them show in my ads, and I've also seen the kind of information gathered by Google and similar companies, regarding consumers and search patterns. There's no doubt about it in my mind. But you can't prove it... nobody's going to admit doing it, imagine the laws they'd be breaching."

I never drunk gin for years until recently (following bad experience as a student), when I went to gin cocktail themed restaurant with a friend. 2 days later I got a Gin Cocktail themed recipe book via Amazon. My friend swears she didn't send it to me, it wasn't from the restaurant, I knew no one else who was there, and I told no one else about it. And no, I didn't order it while drunk.... Is Amazon having a laugh?? Freaked me out a bit!!

Just checked back into this thread after a few days and it's gone exactly the way I thought it was going when I left.

Regardless of how easy it would be to detect if something comes this was happening,

Regardless of the perfectly reasonable explanations being offered,

Regardless of the impossibility of the huge, global conspiracy required, that would have to involve hundreds of thousands of people if this was true,

the majority of posts are still 'its definitely true, they are always listening in to you!!! I talked about X and then an advert for one turned up on my phone!'

I could genuinely print out a text copy of this entire thread and use it as a resource to teach a GCSE Critical Thinking class. 🙄

I despair.

Regardless of the impossibility of the huge, global conspiracy required, that would have to involve hundreds of thousands of people if this was true,

No global conspiracy required.
If you have the facebook app on your phone you have given them permission to access everything on your phone and use it as they wish. That's what the app is for.

Amazon may be the same. I haven't checked it, but why would they not compete with FB.

No fly paper for me either but when I googled 'do you' the first hit was 'do you flush your contact lenses' which is a bit freaky as earlier this evening my husband said he read an article the other day saying you shouldn't flush contact lenses down the loo.

Let's leave the two opposing views to fight it out and sneer at the rest of us

We do have an Alexa though

We do too. Had a bizarre experience with that recently which involved Alexa butting into the short phone conversation I was having with a friend (to make meetup arrangements) and she suggested there were people who could help me and reeled off the Samaritans phone number. I looked back at the logs and there was absolutely nothing in the conversation that would be even remotely construed as a cry for help.

I despair

You should never despair Personified but you might have burnout. Have you thought about a change in career to one where you feel you can be effective?

I kind of assume they do listen in. I was chatting to DS and his friend in the car. Both talking about GCSE options and future career plans. Friend wants to study child psychology, DS wants to study forensic science. I now have regular FB adverts for these courses.

I’ve never searched for them or looked them up, the adverts only started after this conversation. They seem a bit too specific to be randomly generated content.

email is not a cookie served ad, you have to be on their list, someone pulls the email together, products to be advertiser decided etc

This isn’t entirely true as some sites send you an email if you leave something in your shopping basket for a few hours.