Facebook is reading my Google searches and showing my wife related ads on her iPhone!

I get that but where is the connection between my laptop and what I am searching and my wifes I-phone. Our phones are on separate apple accounts and she has never used my laptop and I don't have facebook. We use the same wifi though, would that be it? Also, what program is the one you use above that is blocking all the trackers?

 

There could be several reasons, and the first two that come to mind are that you and your wife use the same hosting for email, gmail for example or other ISP. The other possibly is that your devices are set to "sharing" mode, which is pretty common for iOS and default with Win 10. The latter includes an "advertising ID" which is specific to each user.

And of course, Big Data, it's collecting everything and connecting the dots. That's when the data is the most valuable, dollar-wise.

 

Ghostery - an add on for your browser.

 

Another tip: Use the opt-out at digital advertising alliance site:
http://optout.aboutads.info/#/

 

Another add-on to prevent tracking:
https://disconnect.me/

 

Privacybadger.com. Will tell you when/ what a site is trying to employ for tracking you.
https://duckduckgo.com/ . Private search. Add this to Chrome as your default.

 

Oh, and why carry your phone constantly. Why check your email etc constantly. I don't carry a phone. Period. It stays powered down in my car.

 

^ That's a life of luxury.

I still have to carry a phone; coordinating numerous developing projects along with company IT tech support (I'm the IT Manager and ISSO, amongst other things).

 

Thanks for privacybadger. Added to my arsenal.

 

If powered down it takes a long time to power up when needed. If in airplane mode can you accomplish the same thing but have more instant access when you want it?

 

I'd be interested in the wisdom here about the latest Blackberry's running Android. Do we think this exposes the secure BB environment, which up until this point has been pretty secure for a smartphone.

 

I have never had any problem of such. The forums with ads powered by google seems to be more bothersome than Facebook, showing my searches on eBay and Amazon.

 

Start Page is another good one similar to duck duck go.

https://www.startpage.com/

 

This old Ted talk gives you a good idea of the magnitude of the digital stalking going on if you are unfamiliar with it. And that was 5 years ago.
https://www.ted.com/talks/gary_kovacs_tracking_the_trackers

 

What I don't understand is how any of this is a surprise? Why is everyone so upset?

I mean billions of people, are using hugely powerful, and hugely expensive-to-run platforms, for free. How do they think they get all that computing power at no cost?

Oh, and since no one bothers to read to the T&C's, and just clicks ok, why is Fb or Google at fault? If you use something for free, and you click ok, what's the issue?

I'm not pointing fingers, just fascinated what on earth people expect.

 

I was at a presentation two weeks ago with both google and Facebook. Unbelievable what they are able to track, and the future using AI will even be scarier. Wanted to toss my phone into the BBQ. Won't be changing anytime soon. They also link to credit card systems, they know what you search for, where you go, and what and how you make purchases. I had no idea.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I assume my internet searches are being saved/monitored. I suppose you could browse in Google Chrome's Incognito mode all the time. I never bothered to check, but I'm not sure you can run Google Chrome extensions in there. I like running my ad blockers to avoid any and all ads (including YouTube thankfully)...so I'll just deal with my searches being saved. :/

 

The first time I became surprised with all of it was a year or so ago after shopping at a store. My phone (Google Nexus line) had a pop-up shortly after I left asking me to leave a review on the store. I didn't use my phone to search the location of the store, didn't text/email anything about it, and didn't use my phone (or Google Wallet) to pay. My GPS is never on unless I want driving directions so this thing must have used cell tower triangulation to figure out where I was. The damn thing even had my route tracked and timed.

You can see your own here if you're logged into your Google account: https://www.google.com/maps/timeline?pb

Edit: I know there are apps that send data and texts with encryption protection (my brother works for an app company that makes one). I think if someone made a phone with everything secure and private, it would sell well.

 

There is also the possibility that the store was using a device that transmitted ultrasonic audio and that signal was received and reported by an app listening on your phone.
Retailers are currently in love with technology that allows them to know what route you took through the store and how long you lingered in lingerie or shoes vs. jewellery or appliances.

There were reports back in May of researchers finding >230 apps that were performing this "cross-device tracking" and Google removed them from the play store. These ultrasonic signals are also broadcast by your television btw.

 

How do we stop Facebook ?
Besides not using it .

 

https://www.komando.com/tips/363736/stop-facebook-from-following-you-around-the-web/all
Not that Kim Komando is always right, but it is a pretty good starting point.

 

btw I'm currently using 3 blockers and without checking to see if they are duplicating efforts or even conflicting with each other:

Ghostery: 2 trackers blocked
Privacy Badger: 3 trackers blocked
UBlock Origin: 12 trackers blocked

I also use an app within Facebook that you add as an extension to your browser called FBP for Face Book Purity that lets me clean up my timeline and filter posts by keywords, etc.
My home network filters traffic through a Raspberry Pi running Pi Hole - another ad blocker and I'm still using Adblock Plus as well on my desktop.

I need to do more on my Android phones because that's where I see a lot of ads in forums related to my searches - I should use my vpn more when I'm away from home but I get lazy.

 

Isn't that a key difference between Apple and Google? That Android deliberately passes responsibility for privacy to telcos whereas IOS is secure regardless of which carrier you're on?

 

Perhaps this is why so many sites ask you to sign in using Facebook. Like Tapatalk...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Exactly why. You are giving them the ability to track you - just as you, and even your friends, give app developers the ability to track you by installing apps in Facebook or on your smartphone.
Install an app in FB and it gives the developer access to your friends list, your email address, your posts and maybe more.
People have no clue that they are giving it all away. Your friend just installed a Caller ID app on his smartphone. The app is owned by Whitepages. They just got all of YOUR contact information without your knowledge, consent, and leaving you with no way of clawing it back.