
Is My Phone Recording Everything I Say? Researchers Investigate - mmaanniisshh
https://gizmodo.com/these-academics-spent-the-last-year-testing-whether-you-1826961188
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rags2riches
When the advertisers know people so well that they think they are being spied
on, does it really matter how this is achieved?

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wjnc
The simpler explanation, with a grounding in marketing and cognitive science:
we basically train ourselves to ignore ads. If successful our active brain
doesn't register, while our passive brain might. Have we recently activated
subject X in conversation, we notice ads around X a bit more. Hence the creepy
feeling.

Another explanation might be: I just discussed a holiday and promptly got an
ad for the exact island. The person visiting me probably uses Facebook, so FB
knows we were together and knows where he went via location. Logical
conclusion: people discuss intercontinental trips and hence: show ads.

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blakesterz
I feel the same way about this "my phone is recording me" thing as I do about
Bigfoot. I really want it to be true, but there's so many people walking
around with phones all the time everywhere that it seems like it would have
been caught by now, so I'm starting to think it's just not true.

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gorkemcetin
That has been an issue for several years. Several companies have been secretly
recording your screen and (deliberately or not) recording your PII. I always
read privacy policies but it seems like it is not enough, either. I believe
Google should be very cautious when it comes to such analytics vendors (e.g
Appsee et al).

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speg
On vacation this week. My wife accidentally bought some Flaming Hot Sweet
Chili Cheetos instead of the regular kind. They were talked about many times
the first evening. Yesterday my wife is scrolling through Instagram and what
does she see? Flaming Hot Cheetos. How?

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eboyjr
Her credit card and per item purchase history is in a database somewhere
linked with her social network identities. Combine that with targeted ads and
you have a consistent personal reminder of your purchase history.

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blakesterz
I'm not saying that's wrong, but why would Cheetos advertise to someone that
just bought Cheetos? I don't know much about how advertisers by these types of
ads, but why would someone throw ads for something that was just bought?
Wouldn't they wait until next month or something?

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froindt
It could be a reinforcement strategy. "Oh yeah I bought Cheetos yesterday and
they were really good! I should buy them again soon."

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asdsa5325
TL;DR: No

