Google IS listening

Snowseer

There have been some of these threads about Google hanging on your every word. Many are dismissed as “White Van Syndrome”, in that the ads that you notice as relating to a conversation, are actually for popular products.

Was wandering around an apartment that I’ve just moved into (outside of Ireland), and said out loud that I had to get dishwasher tablets.

Next ad on boards is for Irish dishwasher tablets.

Checked the “My Activity” and “History” for my Google account, and there’s nothing recorded. Nothing should be recorded - even if there’s some time delay in showing what’s been logged to a Google account.

Now, I don’t think a tinfoil hat would work with my look, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen something like this. Anybody else seeing this?

Rackstar

Ok google

TheChizler

Did you notice all the times you said things and the next ad you saw was completely unrelated?

nullzero

TheChizler wrote: »

Did you notice all the times you said things and the next ad you saw was completely unrelated?

I was just thinking that. Get out of my mind!

Touchee

Excuse my ignorance (I'm not a tech person), but how could your phone just record a conversation?

I agree to some extent, I was checking out some apartments on airbnb a few days ago and ever since there's ads for airbnb everywhere.

unfortunately

The real test is say something unusual and see if an ad comes up for it. Saddle polish.

Snowseer

TheChizler wrote: »

Did you notice all the times you said things and the next ad you saw was completely unrelated?

No. That would take quite some time.

The random correlation between the ad, and I what I said out loud, would be against the odds.

super_furry

No we're not.

sgthighway

This happened to one of the lads at work last week. He was talking to somebody about a product while having a coffee. His phone was left on the table. Sure enough the next day there were adds about the product in his internet feed. He never researched the product online before that.

Snowseer

Touchee wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance (I'm not a tech person), but how could your phone just record a conversation?

I agree to some extent, I was checking out some apartments on airbnb a few days ago and ever since there's ads for airbnb everywhere.

Well, this is the question. For many apps that are installed, you’d grant a lot of permissions for the convenience.

I’m wondering if - being logged into a device, under your Chrome credential, are things being recorded without your knowledge.

ozmo

This has happened often to me - I really do think Android phones are listening for key words....

Alun

ozmo wrote: »

This has happened often to me - I really do think Android phones are listening for key words....

Often I'll be talking to my wife about something, and a question pops up about it, and I'll Google it on my phone. After only literally typing in two characters it pops up with what I was searching for in the first suggestion even when the word I was searching for is very uncommon. It happens far too often for it to be coincidence.

ardinn

Messenger is worse for this than google - It says it somewhere in the messenger terms that keywords can be picked up!

Google allready knows how much of a pervert I am with my sometimes ridiculous porn search terms so Im not really worried about them knowing what washing powder i need.

ozmo

The phones know also who you are associated with- so if you partner says they might like go somewhere or searches for something- you may start seeing adverts for it on your phone.

Google and Facebook invest heavily in data mining.

Snowseer

sgthighway wrote: »

This happened to one of the lads at work last week. He was talking to somebody about a product while having a coffee. His phone was left on the table. Sure enough the next day there were adds about the product in his internet feed. He never researched the product online before that.

Yep, but this is something that could be explained by it being a popular product, or one Googled by an associated account. Not saying it is, but that’s some reasoning.

The washing tablets that I mentioned are less easy to explain - I reckon.

marcbrophy

It's the same way as when you're in work and at lunch time you or someone quotes a line from the Simpsons and everyone has a good chuckle.
Then, you get home from work and the same damn episode is on TV :eek:

It's a coincidence is all!
Unless Sky One is listening to me on my lunch breaks?

*shifty-eyes.gif*

uck51js9zml2yt

Anyone who thinks Google isn't listening in needs to go back go a button phone.
But so are the Americans, English, french, Germans and Moldovans ( probably) but getting a button phone won't stop them!

Snowseer

Alun wrote: »

Often I'll be talking to my wife about something, and a question pops up about it, and I'll Google it on my phone. After only literally typing in two characters it pops up with what I was searching for in the first suggestion even when the word I was searching for is very uncommon. It happens far too often for it to be coincidence.

Yeah - same. As I said, not to be a tinfoil hat person. But it is happening a lot - moreso than would be a coincidence. I think it’s worth a discussion/being aware of.

WoollyRedHat

You never got this nonsense with Ask Jeeves. He listened when you wanted him to, like the good butler he was.

McMurphy

ardinn wrote: »

Messenger is worse for this than google - It says it somewhere in the messenger terms that keywords can be picked up!

Google allready knows how much of a pervert I am with my sometimes ridiculous porn search terms so Im not really worried about them knowing what washing powder i need.

You picked your 3000th post to inform us of your ridiculous porn appetite.

Congratulations.

Wheeliebin30

It was already established here a while back that Google are recording certain things.

I thought people knew this???

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Atlantic Dawn

Your location data is used to map traffic volumes on roads based on how slow your phones movements are reporting back to Google at various times of the day, simularly if you enter a shop it's recording your time in it and calculating how busy that shop will be based on this, kind of useful but scary too in what that data could be used for.

s7ryf3925pivug

I found myself getting a lot of targetted ads for private jets when I was out of work for a couple of months. Going to say I'm not concerned.

Cienciano

Has that thinks Google is listening to them changed their phone?

coffee_cake

Cienciano wrote: »

Has that thinks Google is listening to them changed their phone?

Did google write that post

I totally agree with you OP. I've had this sort of thing happen countless times. The technology is very advanced, why wouldn't google take advantage it.

The other day I was recalling with my brother that scene in the simpsons where Homer is daydreaming that he is the worlds tallest man and made of gold. Next day, the first suggestion I see when I open youtube was that scene, and I hadn't been looking at simpsons clips previously or anything.

edit: just saw another poster talking about the simpsons .. ha

prinzeugen

I have had this happen more than once. I have 2 apps on my phone (Dublin Bus and the bank), no Facebook, Instagram etc, so it must be Google.

We were watching the last ever episode of Dave Gorman on Dave a while back and I mentioned to the OH that he was doing no more as he was going back touring.

15 mins later adverts for Dave Gorman live in Dublin started popping up on almost every site I visited.

I have never searched for his name in Google or on YouTube ever.

kneemos

Don't see it as a negative. If I need dishwasher powder and google have their finger on the pulse well enough to tell me where to get it I say damn good show.

prinzeugen

kneemos wrote: »

Don't see it as a negative. If I need dishwasher powder and google have their finger on the pulse well enough to tell me where to get it I say damn good show.

Do you need Google to tell you that you can buy it from a shop?

Pointless adverts. I don't need them to tell me I can buy stuff in a shop. I have been doing it for 30 years now.

And who buys dishwasher powder online anyway? Either you are lazy, or run a hotel.

StupidLikeAFox

Touchee wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance (I'm not a tech person), but how could your phone just record a conversation?
.

My phone has a microphone at the bottom, check to see if yours does too