View Full Version : Targeted Ads -- How Do They Know?
Throwing this out there to see if anyone else has had this experience or ideas on how this is happening.
Dairy Queen -- I told a story here about Dairy Queen being out of ice cream. Google toolbar is installed in browser. I was immediately served with DQ ads.
Toothpaste -- I had a cleaning appointment today, very nice young (pretty) hygienist was giving me advice and recommended a specific kind of toothpaste. I had only my phone with me and used Notes to note the name (although I had misspelled it as is my custom [GMan!!!!]). Went to Kings on the way home and bought it. Come home and am served ads for it.
How is this happening?!?
Best I can figure is Google is sending this info via browsers/toolbars. But I can't explain the toothpaste. Did my iPhone X spy on that convo? It would have had to use the microphone and be able to interpret the brand name (not common).
People have been talking about this for years now. Where they have a conversation where a brand name is said, and then they get ads for it.
I cannot rule the possibility that Google has "plants", e.g. fully robot spies. Possibly the dental hygienist. The only way to be sure is to perform a Crocodile Dundee check. Google has no use for genitals.
You got facebook on your phone?
People have been talking about this for years now. Where they have a conversation where a brand name is said, and then they get ads for it.
This post makes me sound like I?m giving attitude. I?ve been hearing about it for years, but don?t know that I?ve ever noticed it happening to me. Probably because I don?t pay attention to ads at all. I do notice that if I ever look up some grill or something to replace for a customer, I get grill ads, but since I don?t look at ads or ever have any intention of clicking on them, it doesn?t matter to me what product they are showing.
I cannot rule the possibility that Google has "plants", e.g. fully robot spies. Possibly the dental hygienist. The only way to be sure is to perform a Crocodile Dundee check. Google has no use for genitals.
[ROFL3]
I'm pretty sure that would get me arrested. Best case.
And I don't use my real name anywhere else. So it has to be device involvement.
You got facebook on your phone?
Nope.
I have minimum apps on my phone but do use Safari.
Microphone is only enabled for Wyze and Google Maps. Maps was in use as I was fighting traffic to get there. Is that my problem?
This post makes me sound like I?m giving attitude. I?ve been hearing about it for years, but don?t know that I?ve ever noticed it happening to me. Probably because I don?t pay attention to ads at all. I do notice that if I ever look up some grill or something to replace for a customer, I get grill ads, but since I don?t look at ads or ever have any intention of clicking on them, it doesn?t matter to me what product they are showing.
I know and now it's happening to me!
I always figured it was the apps but something's up.
how did you pay? do you have a store loyalty card?
BushMasterBoy
08-13-2019, 20:03
I bought some sheets from Ebay. Now I keep seeing articles about Epstein.
I've seen it happen with a new phone. We purposely had a conversation in front of it and immediately got ads. We did this 3 or 4 different times
how did you pay? do you have a store loyalty card?
Yes! Connected to my wife's phone number.
How does that know my IP/accounts? And why target me after the sale?
Another spooky thing just happened... Kiddo and friend asked for chicken/fries for dinner. BOOM - Tyson's chicken ads. No purchase on this one.
Throwing this out there to see if anyone else has had this experience or ideas on how this is happening.
Dairy Queen -- I told a story here about Dairy Queen being out of ice cream. Google toolbar is installed in browser. I was immediately served with DQ ads.
Toothpaste -- I had a cleaning appointment today, very nice young (pretty) hygienist was giving me advice and recommended a specific kind of toothpaste. I had only my phone with me and used Notes to note the name (although I had misspelled it as is my custom [GMan!!!!]). Went to Kings on the way home and bought it. Come home and am served ads for it.
How is this happening?!?
Best I can figure is Google is sending this info via browsers/toolbars. But I can't explain the toothpaste. Did my iPhone X spy on that convo? It would have had to use the microphone and be able to interpret the brand name (not common).
You're correct.
It is their business to know your online footprint, your purchasing trends / history, your current search pattern, and your search history, and all kinds of other metrics.
The search engines and Microsoft and Apple (among others) sell this information to retailers and websites, and they use it themselves in the hopes you'll click on the adverts they place on the websites you're browsing. Google Analytics is one example of a data gathering service. They also know that Americans are impulse buyers with credit cards, if they can present adverts very quickly after your initial searches they stand a good chance of getting paid for that sale directly, or if you go to a brick-and-mortar they still get paid, indirectly but less $$.
Now think about the size and speed of the database they're using, and then think about the network size and speed, and the server farms size and speed of those servers because they're doing this to billions of people every second of single day. The algorithms are incredible.
ChickNorris
08-13-2019, 20:39
All I ever really search for online is: girly shoes & clothing - ammo, firearms & related gear - porn.
I only turn on my location when: I'm going to firearm related activities or stores, an airport, or to government buildings.
I prefer to use cash for purchases.
I offer very few data points & anymore they don't need my expressed permissions to access my mic or much of anything else on my phone, card(s) etc. They have access to it already.
Just is.
Zundfolge
08-13-2019, 21:19
Its actually kinda scary. All the data trails you create feed various AIs that are able to predict with a surprising degree of accuracy what you'll do next.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqByX959pxg
Do you guys get the monthly emails from Google showing where you've been?
Aloha_Shooter
08-13-2019, 21:31
You think they improved speech-to-text-to-data processing because they want to help you play music? Google makes its money by selling data. Use their search engine? KA-CHING!
Use a browser they can data-mine by installing a "tool" to copy your data stream? KA-CHING!
Use their "free" mail server so your email passes through their server? KA-CHING!
I use an Android smartphone because I prefer the ecosystem and dislike iOS but I try to minimize my interaction with Google otherwise. Don't use Chrome, don't use their search engine, don't use gmail. I wish YouTube was still independent; while I use Vimeo over YouTube when I can, the fact of the matter is that a number of the producers I like to follow are on YouTube.
When it comes to Apple vs. Google, think about this. Apple makes its money by selling consumers overpriced stylish electronics and selling vendors a place in their iOS ecosystem. Google makes everything "free" to attract a large customer base then sells their information to get cash flow.
Do you ever use your phone on your home WiFi?
The traffic for all of your devices is sharing the same public IP address from your ISP. Google and the like can then correlate all of your devices to YOU. If you look for something on your phone away from home, they already know who you are and will feed you the same marketing on your devices at home. [tinhat]
Many of our devices are listening to what's around us, and there are little programs that take what they hear and feed it to back-end systems. There is even cross communication between devices using inaudible communication.
This is from 2015 - Beware of ads that use inaudible sound to link your phone, TV, tablet, and PC (https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/11/beware-of-ads-that-use-inaudible-sound-to-link-your-phone-tv-tablet-and-pc/)
The adage is, If you're getting something for free, YOU are the product.
TEAMRICO
08-13-2019, 22:02
Big busty single blondes in my area....go on google do your thang!!!!!
APEXgunparts
08-13-2019, 23:53
You are experiencing "Behavioral Marketing", look up that term in GOOGLE and read the explanations.
Their are companies that will do this service for E-Commerce retailers.
UNLESS the product you sell is firearms or related products!
"MULTIVIEW" will sell you this service, but finds very limited places it can advertise your firearms related products.
So you pay full price for limited access to consumers.
It can be very effective, which is why the advertising industry won't let firearms related items get promoted.
Richard
Great-Kazoo
08-14-2019, 00:00
Do you guys get the monthly emails from Google showing where you've been?
I don't know of any guy who gets monthly's . Maybe periodicals, but monthly', no.
How to get 25% off coupon code through AdvancedAuto.
When you login, you clock on the item and save it on the cart. Close the window.
X amount of minutes later, they send you 25% coupon on your email.
Yes, I do get more gooogle news based on the topic I get interested more.
Big 5 is STILL doing the targeted ad on Tennis ball pick up basket. lol
Bailey Guns
08-14-2019, 07:15
I use an Android phone, Google/Chrome everything. I have privacy filters set to filter the least amount of data I can. I rarely get these targeted ads...when I do it's for something I'm never interested in nor would I search for (kid stuff, etc...). I do use Amazon a lot and get lots of targeted ads from them based on browsing history. I ignore most of them.
I really hate how much of my information is leaked and stored by these companies. But I like their products.
I really hate how much of my information is leaked and stored by these companies. But I like their products.
Don't you love when they send you messages about paying for additional storage? I'm not going to pay for the pleasure of having even more of my data harvested.
Bailey Guns
08-14-2019, 07:24
If by "love" you mean "hate"...yes. I "love" it when they do that.
Trigger Time 23
08-14-2019, 07:52
What "The Great Hack" on Netflix.
I worked in the ad-tec industry for 6 years. Once my nda expires I can talk about this in detail. Just know that it's shady as hell.
hollohas
08-14-2019, 08:34
I have had this happen quite a bit. So has my wife. And other family.
We were once having a conversation while in Woodland Park about seeing a chiropractor in FtCo. Boom, an hour later, ads for chiropractors in northern CO. Nobody ever searched for or visited any chiropractors in FtCo...
Wife took the baby to the Dr. He got some cream for a rash. A free sample, not a Rx. I got home and asked her what he was given. She said "I don't remember what it's called but he got some cream for.." so-and-so rash that she described using the proper medical term. What do you know, I get ads for the exact name brand rash cream we were given. Nobody in the house ever used the web to search for or research the condition or the cream in ANY way. And no money was exchanged for it. NO way that's a coincidence.
And many examples too. But to be fair, I see many more ads for random stuff than I ever see that I think are targeted based on digital snooping (which there is no doubt in my mind exists in far greater reach than anyone will admit).
I've had this happen a number of times as well.
That said, you can minimize the intrusion with some effort. Don't use MS or Google browsers (e.g. Chrome, Edge, IE); stick to Firefox, Opera*, Brave or Vivaldi. Install ad blockers on your browsers like Privacy Badger or Adblock Plus. You can run script blockers, too, but in many cases this may break the functionality of a website.
Minimize time on Facebook and Messenger, and only use them through a browser rather than their native apps. If the apps are installed on your phone, uninstall them or use your system settings to put them in a suspended state.
If you really want to get down to it, Windows is compromised as well, so you're better off going with Mac OS or installing and using a flavor of Linux like Ubuntu or Mint.
*Opera is a nice browser, and has a functional and easy to use built-in VPN, but it is owned by the Chinese, so use with care.
Facebook, Apple, and Google have all admitted to covertly recording, parsing, and even transcribing conversations recorded by phones, home automation devices, and even laptops computers, all in the name of "improving the customer experience". I'm sure many other companies are doing this as well. If you have any electronics in your life (even so called smart TVs), you have no real privacy. The claim that the data they gather is anonymized is pure bullshit as well.
Current news on the subject:
Facebook transcribed users’ audio messages without permission (https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/13/facebook-contractors-said-to-have-collected-and-transcribed-users-audio-without-permission/)
“The future is private.” Clearly, Facebook still has a way to go.
Facebook has become the latest tech giant to face scrutiny over its handling of users’ data, following a report that said the social media giant collected audio data and recordings from its users and transcribed it using third-party contractors.
The report came from Bloomberg, citing the contractors who requested anonymity for fear of losing their jobs.
According to the report, the audio came from its Messenger app. The audio conversations were matched against transcriptions to see if they were properly interpreted by the company’s artificial intelligence.
There are several ways that Facebook collects voice and audio data. But the social media giant’s privacy policy makes no clear mention or explanation what it uses audio data for. Bloomberg also noted that contractors felt their work was “unethical” because Facebook “hasn’t disclosed to users that third parties may review their audio.”
The company has long rebuffed claims that Facebook is “not listening” to its users through your phone.
We’ve asked Facebook several questions — including for what reason the audio was transcribed and why users weren’t explicitly told of the third-party transcription — but did not immediately hear back.
Facebook stopped transcribing voice data earlier in August, said spokesperson Joe Osborne.
The social media giant becomes the latest tech company to face questions about its use of third-party contractors and staff to review user audio.
Amazon saw the initial round of flak for allowing contractors to manually review Alexa recordings without express user permission, forcing the company to add an opt-out to its Echo devices. Google also faced heat for allowing human review of audio data, along with Apple, which used contractors to listen to seemingly private Siri recordings. Microsoft also listened to some Skype calls made through the company’s app translation feature.
It’s been over a year since Facebook last had a chief security officer in the wake of Alex Stamos’ departure.
If you want to know what's going on in the world of cybersecurity, including stuff like this, I recommend reading Bruce Schneier's blog.
https://www.schneier.com/
ChickNorris
08-14-2019, 10:17
DEF CON just wrapped didn't it?
My female boss use to get massive amount of PORN POP ads on her work pc.
Then one day, she wanted to show me one important email. Then there it is huge hardcore porn email on the pc.
Targeted porn ad.
This was exact reason I would not use work pc for personal reason. This was 2002ish.
RblDiver
08-14-2019, 10:56
Don't have experience in the "instant ad-ification" world, but my company does do some online marketing (in addition to physical mail). We base ours primarily on actual purchases. That is, we look at people who have purchased items versus a control group, model to determine what made those people buy versus the others, then score individuals to determine who "looks like" someone who bought XYZ. We'd then load that score to an online platform for ad buys. Like, if we think you're very likely to buy an item, when you visit a site that has an ad platform, there's essentially a bidding war that goes on. I don't know the actual number, but let's say that if you're likely to buy, we'd offer to pay 5 cents to show you an ad. If ours is the winning bid, you see our ad. Meanwhile, if you're not likely to buy, we might only offer half a cent for your view, so the toe fungus cream that's offering a penny will win out instead.
I know we do have some stuff related to interests (like, "interested in outdoor activity," though I don't know how our partners determine that), that can play into it, but our process takes minimum 2 weeks to change that sort of data, not 30 seconds.
Btw........ no we did NOT.
[snip]
Now think about the size and speed of the database they're using, and then think about the network size and speed, and the server farms size and speed of those servers because they're doing this to billions of people every second of single day. The algorithms are incredible.
The tech doesn't impress me because I work with it. It's how they are getting the hooks into me that is impressive which is more logistical.
Do you ever use your phone on your home WiFi?
Yes.
But let's keep in mind what is being sent and how it can be used. My IP address alone doesn't identify a social media account under the name "John Doe." They would have to record the login to know that. A person going to FB.com isn't sending their credentials. There is a cookie on the device that stores that info. So a service would have to read foreign cookies in order to piece together IP and accounts. This would associate the device, account, and IP.
But then how would a service know the device? MAC IDs sure but then they have to read IP config to get that because (AFAIK) MAC IDs aren't sent over the internet (but are available on local networks). Now if I joined a WiFi that I didn't own (which I never do) of course they could get this. But then then they wouldn't be able to make the association if I used a network they didn't own (Verizon LTE)--which assumes Verizon isn't selling my info and I don't think I can assume that.
I worked in the ad-tec industry for 6 years. Once my nda expires I can talk about this in detail. Just know that it's shady as hell.
I wonder how much of this is actually legal. Sure, you can sign away your rights under a vague ToS but that doesn't nullify state/Fed laws.
Current news on the subject:
Facebook transcribed users? audio messages without permission (https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/13/facebook-contractors-said-to-have-collected-and-transcribed-users-audio-without-permission/)
Far less remarkable if you give consent to use that service and install an app that does it. I didn't consent to anyone listening to a convo at my dentist's office. I didn't install an app that consents to constant surveillance.
This was exact reason I would not use work pc for personal reason. This was 2002ish.
This is my practice as well. My work laptop is for work only. I don't even visit this board with it!
What happened yesterday was on multiple devices. My iPhone then my personal PC. Since I use my work laptop from home, I have to assume whatever associates IP and device info can associate that device.
Yep.
So we'll get to see all kinds of scare stories in the media portraying exotic system exploits as something your neighbor kid can do.
hollohas
08-14-2019, 11:29
Half the targeted ads I see are for stuff I already purchased. That's a HUGE waste of advertising money to target people who already have the product IMO.
I wonder how much of this is actually legal. Sure, you can sign away your rights under a vague ToS but that doesn't nullify state/Fed laws.
What is theoretically illegal/legal based on a reading of a law isn't all that relevant. If a judge isn't willing to see things you're way after you threw $200,000 cash at a case (without any chance of recovery), it's legal.
So yep, gotta follow the NDA's etc.
Half the targeted ads I see are for stuff I already purchased. That's a HUGE waste of advertising money to target people who already have the product IMO.
That always cracks me up. Especially when it's something you won't usually buy twice like a water heater.
Here's a fun one...
Kaspersky AV injected unique ID that allowed sites to track users, even in incognito mode (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/08/kaspersky-av-injected-unique-id-into-webpages-even-in-incognito-mode/)
Antivirus software is something that can help people be safer and more private on the Internet. But its protections can cut both ways. A case in point: for almost four years, AV products from Kaspersky Lab injected a unique identifier into the HTML of every website a user visited, making it possible for sites to identify people even when using incognito mode or when they switched between Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
The identifier, as reported Thursday by c't Magazine, was part of a blob of JavaScript Kaspersky products injected into every page a user visited. The JavaScript, presented below this paragraph, was designed to, among other things, present a green icon that corresponded to safe links returned in search results.
c't reporter Ronald Eikenberg found something unsettling about the JavaScript injected by the Kaspersky AV product installed on his test computer?the tag 9344FDA7-AFDF-4BA0-A915-4D7EEB9A6615 was unique to his machine, and it was injected into every single page he visited. It didn't matter if he used Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Opera or whether he turned on incognito browsing. The identifier acted as a unique serial number that website operators could use to track him.
Kaspersky stopped sending the identifier in June, after Eikenberg privately reported the behavior to the AV company. The identifier was introduced in the fall (for those in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway) of 2015. That meant that for close to four years, all consumer versions of Kaspersky software for Windows?including the free version, Kaspersky Internet Security, and Kaspersky Total Security?silently branded users with a unique identifier.
Anyone using Kaspersky is nuts. There's "spyware", which we all know as advertisement harvesters, but the reason Kapersky has is real "SpyWare" that has nothing to do with ads. That's just the tip of the iceberg. It's sad really, Russia would probably have a lot more tourism if they didn't crawl so far up people's ass to see the stomach ulcers.
BladesNBarrels
08-18-2019, 10:55
Russian tourism.
Reminds me of the satirical song lyrics when Chevrolet and Dinah Shore were advertising, "See the USA in your Chevrolet" in their 1964 Go West Campaign
See the USSR in your Armored Car
Khrushchev is asking you to die!
Dinah Shore and Chevrolet, 1964
https://i.imgur.com/O9QyG67.jpg
Grant H.
08-18-2019, 17:28
I will bet that most here have never read the full terms and conditions that go along with using an Apple/Android device... 99% of society can't be bothered to...
You have a device that has the capability to listen to you, reach out to the servers at "home", and respond when "you want it to", but you happily assume that they only do this when you want them too... Right...
A prime example of this is the FB messenger app. The permissions that folks agreed to, when installing this app, included the ability for the app to turn on/off all Radios, Cameras, and Microphones, without the permission, OR KNOWLEDGE, of the phone owner. Out of the "however many billions" that use FB, how many do you think don't have that app installed?
The simple fact of the matter is that the majority of society runs off and buys into the latest and greatest technology without a thought as to their privacy and informational security.
Same thing goes for the Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or any of the others...
Along with all of this, if you believe that Amazon, Google, FB, Apple, etc don't willingly share the information that they collect with .gov and other TLA's, you're delusional...
It's a little more than that people can't be bothered to read those terms and agreements. I was listening to a podcast about this very issue and they were saying that they took some pretty simple app (I don't remember which one) and printed the terms and agreements and it was over 500 pages or something ridiculous, and it took a team of people something like a week to even get through all of it. Those terms and agreements are purposely long and difficult reads (just like most of our proposed bills). That doesn't completely remove the responsibility of people of course.
There are a few apps that I'd like to have installed on my phone, but since they want permission to view my contacts, location, photos, camera, and mic, I won't install them.
I wish more people would refuse to use apps actually. It seems like EVERY company has some app they want you to install, and it really is a problem.
I will bet that most here have never read the full terms and conditions that go along with using an Apple/Android device... 99% of society can't be bothered to...
You have a device that has the capability to listen to you, reach out to the servers at "home", and respond when "you want it to", but you happily assume that they only do this when you want them too... Right...
A prime example of this is the FB messenger app. The permissions that folks agreed to, when installing this app, included the ability for the app to turn on/off all Radios, Cameras, and Microphones, without the permission, OR KNOWLEDGE, of the phone owner. Out of the "however many billions" that use FB, how many do you think don't have that app installed?
The simple fact of the matter is that the majority of society runs off and buys into the latest and greatest technology without a thought as to their privacy and informational security.
Same thing goes for the Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or any of the others...
Along with all of this, if you believe that Amazon, Google, FB, Apple, etc don't willingly share the information that they collect with .gov and other TLA's, you're delusional...
Even if you do read the terms and conditions, so what?
There's literally nothing you can do. You can't modify the terms. You can't adjust what the app does. Hell, you can't even go to a market competitor because any other company on the market is doing pretty much exactly the same thing. Your only options are literally to either submit entirely or be locked out of the technology and services that undergird nearly everything nowadays.
There's literally no other mainstream option. If you care about your security you're either stuck being a luddite, or forced to take make staying private via technology into something akin to a secondary hobby.
Is there a meme with a person being water boarded with pop-up ads? If not, there should be one.
Want to see all your targeted ads at once? Head over the www.backyardchickens.com. That place is basically ARF.com but for chickens. When I check that site without being logged in, I can barely make it off the landing page.
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