Ever get the feeling you are being watched?

Yes, we're all being watched and listened to. Spooky, isn't it? But then everyone is doing as they are told these days, and without question. I find that even spookier and tragic at the same time.

Elvis58 If you have Alexa you ^are listened to every monent of your lives. How else would the app hear when someone says "Alexa, play music" ? Any other device with sound recognition is the same. The owner believes that it responds only to their voice giving it a direct order, so they discuss things in front of it as thought it is deaf.

Think 1984..... I believe with all the street cctv, along with Internet and Alexa monitoring. We are heading that way...

My friend and l were discussing not googling about moving to a remote island to get away from the covid insanity.When later on in the day we both got adverts about a remote scottish island for sale.l am convinced we are clocked and listened to every day of our lives!

I watched this documentary on Netflix a few months back and, as a not-very-techy-person, I found the personification of algorithms very useful. It helped explain why I was getting so many "suggested for you" ads for vintage motorbikes! www.netflix.com/watch/81254224?trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C0%2Cec0e3d7e985c58b4159c69406f9a6377632e1ffb%3Aeb74b1540282a312d2d1571c9e741f96527f481c%2Cec0e3d7e985c58b4159c69406f9a6377632e1ffb%3Aeb74b1540282a312d2d1571c9e741f96527f481c%2Cunknown%2C

H1954... That would freak me out. I hate people staring at me.

Also means if we are talking on another phone , maybe giving out personal information, passwords, Doctors, banks etc then some other could possibly be listening in.

On iPad , if you go into settings , look up Safari , click on the link , scroll down then you will see option for Clear History and Website Data , by clicking on that it clears all the cookies ect you’ve built up , but the only thing to remember is that it will also clear your ‘ member ‘ from here , but as long as you know your password you’ll be ok no, but at least it wipes the slate clean , until you build up some more cookies .....

Actually, Llamedos13 Facebook has had lots of ads for gardening and outdoor stuff recently. It is summer, after all.

MerylStreep I put a load of washing into the machine, and sat down to look at Gransnet while it chuntered on. The page on screen contained ads for washing machines. I decided that someone on GN must have been posting about laundry - I was right, there was a thread on whether to dry it indoors or out.

Sara1954

It’s scary, my plumber, my daughter and I were standing in the kitchen discussing a very specialised valve, within minutes an advert for one had popped up on my phone.

Recently I was thinking about a lawnmower, I did not utter a word of what I was thinking to anyone and later that day up pops up ads for lawnmowers on Facebook! My mind was being read?

HillyN
You’ve both got the same IP address. All your devices will connect.

I always known that our devices are listening ( it’s happened too many times) This happened in the past half hour.
I was discussing with my late friends girlfriend what songs to play at his funeral.
I said it has to be a Dr Feelgood song. I went onto YouTube to help me decide. First ad that pops up is for funerals.?

You can also browse online incognito which stops trackers being set on your laptop/computer.

My online info is so targeted i thought Jeremy Corbyn was going to win the 2019 GE because i had only received positive news and nothing from right wing media.
At 10.15 that night when it came on the radio that it looked like BoJo had won i was in deep shock and drank myself into oblivion still haven't really got over the shock!

Whenever my DH searches for something on the internet using his ipad, it pops up on my FB page, that I access through my laptop. I can't work out how 'they' know we are married. I often joke that he couldn't buy me a surprise present online, because I would see it in my FB feed.
One day an advert for expensive jewellery popped up and I got really excited! Sadly, he denied searching for it and no gift of jewellery materialised.

The funniest product ‘suggestion’ I ever had invited me to buy a chainsaw as a Mother’s Day gift.

As already mentioned. Do not use google. Duckduckgo.com is a safer search engine. You can even modify your search to a specific country, eg. South Africa or UK. Remember that anything "smart" is watching you, your phone, tv, watch.

There was a programme on last year about Amazon, where they openly admitted that they listened in to household talk when there was an Alexa in the room. They stressed it was random, but they are able to tune in when Alexa is on, but silent, and hear conversations. From there they send targeted advertising. (Mention you are having peas for dinner, and an ad for Bird's-eye frozen peas, or Thompson and Morgan pea seeds will appear on your device - you get the picture)

I’ve wondered too if my iPhone or iPad can hear me, as I have spoken about things to my husband and next thing a similar thing pops up on Facebook advertising this ??

Doodledog Thank You!
Siri is now switched off and I’m hoping for a little peace. I try so hard but I know I am foolish and very backward with all tech. ?‍♀️

What worries me the most is a few times I have been talking with my daughter about something I may get or do and the next time I am on the Internet I am getting adverts for it, like something is listening.
I know the Alexa and the Google one do keep a record of things you ask it, the makers have said that themselves

My son reckons his Alexa is listening in after discussing something and then adverts coming up on his phone ?

Doodledog

If you turn off Siri on an iPhone it will stop conversations being heard. Go to settings, choose ‘Siri and search’ and toggle everything off.

There will be a similar setting on Android phones - is it Google?

Thank you for that. I’ve just turned everything off.

Sorry if I misunderstood - I read it as nobody really reads your data . OK, no real person, but "they" do.

Apologies Fashionista, if I have got your post wrong.

I think that’s what Fashionista was saying, isn’t it?