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Big brother is listening

(74 Posts)
lovingit Sun 16-Aug-26 22:32:33

A recent blood test revealed that my cholesterol was high and Ive chatted with friends about this around the kitchen table.
Since then my facebook is filled with adverts to lower it,
Aged garlic, beetroot ,,red yeast something or other, berberine??the list goes on.
I,ll stick to the oats and cut down on the fats but it,s amazing how advertising is so targeted.

Barbadosbelle Tue 18-Aug-26 17:56:35

.

There's a reason why Mark Zuckerberg. Jeff Bezos, Jack Dorsey etc etc etc have all stated that they use blue tack to cover all the cameras on their computers, laptops, tablets, ipads etc!!!
.

Margs Tue 18-Aug-26 17:59:51

48 hours ago I just casually enquired about changing Broadband provider.

Now I'm deluged with ads for every provider under the sun and I'm sick of it.

Jojo1950 Tue 18-Aug-26 19:27:33

They hear everything. 🙄

Jojo1950 Tue 18-Aug-26 19:28:40

🤣🤣🤣

MiniMoon Tue 18-Aug-26 19:44:07

I asked Google about flea treatment for the home after our cat had his fleas successfully treated with a pipette from the vet. Now I'm being bombarded by companies trying to sell me flea treatments for cats dogs and homes.
I think I've got on top of it now.

greyfur16 Tue 18-Aug-26 20:41:51

So what are some simple , practical steps I can take please?

petra Tue 18-Aug-26 20:53:04

greyfur16

So what are some simple , practical steps I can take please?

Follow the instructions in this video.

www.google.com/search?q=how+can+i+stop+being+targeted+when+i+serch+somthing&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:bd5389f8,vid:tqwIy88Aw44,st:0

greyfur16 Tue 18-Aug-26 21:12:47

Much appreciated.

Boadicea Tue 18-Aug-26 23:53:33

Install an adblocker, e.g. Adblock Plus (free to download)
Reject all cookies or if it won't let you, don't use the site.
Look out for "Legitimate Interest" as well and "object" to those.
Access sites through your browser (preferably not Google!) rather than install apps.

Milest0ne Wed 19-Aug-26 00:06:41

I have my Tai Chi class listed on my calendar , so I get ads for Tai Chi aps

nanna8 Wed 19-Aug-26 00:11:54

I have ad blockers but still they know what I am looking at. They have ways of circumnavigating things I think. Spooky beasts.

mothertrucker52 Wed 19-Aug-26 13:03:46

I recently remarked to my OH that the dog, who has a matronly figure, looked like a Thelwell pony. This was a face-to-face conversation. Next time I picked up my phone it had an ad for model Thelwell ponies! We do not have Alexa or anything similar. I am now afraid to open my mouth!

Doodledog Wed 19-Aug-26 13:53:41

nanna8

I have ad blockers but still they know what I am looking at. They have ways of circumnavigating things I think. Spooky beasts.

Me too, and I spent ages going through every setting on FB turning off everything that could spy on me. I did the same on my phone, in both cases following instructions from YouTube. When I look, they are definitely off. But as others have said, it is clear that when I search for, or discuss something I get ads, reels and 'you might like' recommendations based on it.

JustkeepswimmingDonna Fri 21-Aug-26 08:36:00

@Bluebelle I'm sorry Bluebelle they are 100% listening to you

Graceless Fri 21-Aug-26 11:46:26

It's the thought reading that spooks me!

However a previous poster reminded me that several years ago I was reading a Thomas Hardy novel and came upon a word Id never seen before (preternatural) and thereafter it was popping up everywhere! Fiction and factual. It has just come on my predictive text and I'll swear I've never used it before.

M0nica Sun 23-Aug-26 08:23:25

Do you think if we kept saying that we no longer wanted something that the ads would hear and follow this up? Would it work if we said that we would leave certain social media if they did not stop inundating us with adverts and articles on dementia, would it work?

Aldom Sun 23-Aug-26 09:15:48

A couple of days ago I said something and the moment I stopped speaking my phone answered me. It was unbelievably scary 😨.

petra Sun 23-Aug-26 09:34:33

There is an algorithm where you’re being timed as to how long you look at a product. Ie, if you look at a product for longer than say 4 seconds you’re interested.

Harris27 Sun 23-Aug-26 09:41:40

My sister was trying to unknot a gold necklace. She must of googled it because she got all these ideas on her iPad as if she’d been looking for a gold necklace. She’d only checked it on her phone?

Elegran Sun 23-Aug-26 11:23:46

Harris27

My sister was trying to unknot a gold necklace. She must of googled it because she got all these ideas on her iPad as if she’d been looking for a gold necklace. She’d only checked it on her phone?

As an aside - if the necklace is fastened after it is taken off, it is less likely to get tangled. Being in a joined loop means the ends don't get themselves into knots as they would if they were loose.

M0nica Mon 24-Aug-26 07:24:33

Just been responding to the thread about the tragic incident in Cleveland. Immediately adverts for funeral plans came up beside the thread and the reply I am - It has just happened again, an advert for funeral plans has popped up beside this post - writing.

ClicketyClick Wed 23-Sept-26 00:25:26

There's a program on today at 7pm on channel 5 titled The secrets of your phone they don't want you to know. It could be an interesting watch and might even prove or dispell the notion that we are being listened to and if so, how.

Nandalot Wed 23-Sept-26 01:16:28

On the landline, a friend was telling me about a visit to a garden centre 12 miles away that neither of us had ever visited before. For two days following, I had posts on my Facebook feed from the self same nursery. Did not even know it existed before.