Targeted Ads -- How Do They Know?

[Skip]

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).

[Irving]

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.

[FoxtArt]

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.

[Erni]

You got facebook on your phone?

[Irving]

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.

[Skip]

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.

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.

[Skip]

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?

[Skip]

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.

[FoxtArt]

how did you pay? do you have a store loyalty card?

[BushMasterBoy]

I bought some sheets from Ebay. Now I keep seeing articles about Epstein.