Now I'm Convinced My Phone Listens

I've had this sort of thing happen to me too- I started a thread on one fo those events, in which I used a particular cosmetic product while in front of my computer, and then for days afterwards, had ads for that product coming up everywhere for me!
I had never bought anything like it online, or done any searches, or written about it- and I had never had any ads of that sort before coming up.

I started reading really carefully the permission that you agree to for a lot of apps, and they usually ask for permission to do whatever they want with your device- to change your settings, turn things off or on, whatever.

Now, I figure, for publicity purposes, who wouldn't use that to spy on potential customers and figure out what might interest them and tempt them to buy???



I often think that the internet became a materialized representative of the collective consciousness (and collective subconsciousness), as we became aware of it, so we created that. Not only do we have access to any information we search through our subconscious, we also attract whatever we think o and relate to- synchronicity happens.
So perhaps it is expected that this sort of "synchronicity" is a part of this materialized representative?

Try this, when you go to bed, leave a TV in the house on, tuned on the spanish channel, leave your phone next to the TV. Next day see if your advertisements are in Spanish. (Spoiler alert, si si)

This kind of thing happens to me when I am only thinking (versus talking aloud). It's like the twilight zone! Happens pretty regularly actually. I think it all plays into the whole "simulated matrix theory"

a reply to: CannibalCorpse1982

Hhhmm...

I search a specific term on my phone last night and now my works computer is showing me relating adverts.

F*** this world.

a reply to: Bluesma

One time my phone shut off by itself and when I managed to turn it back on the background picture had changed (itself?) to a picture of a dandelion LOL

originally posted by: CannibalCorpse1982
a reply to: cosmickat

I believe someone's listening. Who? I don't know but it's clearly a violation of our rights and the fourth amendment.

You probably signed your rights away when you signed the user agreement......fine print and all.

If there is 30 people in the class that is 30 cell phones collecting audio or monitoring audio? Even at half that is 15 devices collecting what would be gigabytes of data to weed through to sell (for example) a stock market web site? I dont think so.

Yeah, its called targeted advertising. If you "like" stuff on Facebook (artists, musicians, clothing brands, movies, tv shows, places to eat) -- Facebook appears to sell that to people somehow, because I'll see targeted ads based on those things in OTHER programs.

I think all the big internet companies compile and share user data to build a profile of what you are interested in and likley to buy.

I went an UNLIKED everything in my Facebook account. Seriously, everything. It wasn't doing anything for me anyway -- the people on my "friends" list know what I like already, and why do I want to advertise what I like to someone stalking my profile anyway?

Go an UNLIKE everything in your profile, you'll see a huge reduction in ads not only in Facebook, but on other sites as well.

I think Amazon and Facebook share advertising data back and forth...as I swear stuff I looked up on Amazon will show up as a "suggested like" or "suggested page" on Facebook.

You only get what you give, so if you don't give the advertisers much information to work with, you'll see less creepy targeted ads. People today just click on anything, "Oh gee, I do like that...sure I'll click like!"

I have an Amazon Echo, and was part of the private beta (got an invite) before they started selling it to everyone. I've had the Echo about a year. The thing has 7 microphones that are "always on" ... well sort of. If it hears you say, "Hey Alexa" it wakes up and you can use it like Siri or Cortana.

I haven't seen any targeted advertisements from it, or any indications that its listening or spying. The Amazon Echo app logs all voice commands you give it (supposedly).

The one annoying thing is that now Amazon is showing commercials for the device, and people are saying, "Hey Alexa, play road trip playlist" on TV...which in turn actives MY Amazon Echo and pretty soon Bruno Mars is playing one of his little goblin songs.

You'd think Amazon would tweak the pronunciation or sound of the command phrase in the commercial to not set everyone's devices off. . .

originally posted by: DOCHOLIDAZE1
a reply to: CannibalCorpse1982

My girlfriend is getting her masters at the end of semester and we have been talking about were she was gonna work when she is done sure enough i get ads on my phone for colleges actively searching for teachers. thought it was weird

It isn't. You and your girlfriend were probably on the same local network which resolved to the same external IP.

She was doing web searches for certain categories and that IP and all devices on that IP (as it can't distinguish inside the router) ended up being correlated.

From the advertiser's point of view, this is an off-target on you; they would prefer to resolve individual people if they can. Actually it shows that you & GF's phone are not being extremely intrusive and recording searches locally on the device.

a reply to: CannibalCorpse1982

I don't have a cell phone any more. Had a knock down with Verizon. Seems you can get a call in an African jungle, 700 miles from civilization, but I can't get a signal five miles from a tower. Okay it's not their tower but so what?

Anyways, when I did have a phone I noticed this happening also. I would be in a meeting and I would suddenly see ads r/t things discussed. One day I was standing at the elevator doors at a local hospital. I got a text message. When I took the message, my phone was set, at of all things ATS.

While I looked at a couple of post, I got ads telling me of the ER wait times at the local hospitals. I told my brother about it and he thought it was just coincidence. Until he looked at my phone and saw ads for online Universities offering classes in Nurse Practitioner Trudie, which his wife and I had been discussing prior to him taking my phone.

I have to laugh because he put all of these security software programs on all of his devices and has passworded everything with 30+ character and symbols, as if that is going to stop anything. I know that they don't need you to have a computer or a cell phone to get your information. If they want it bad enough you don't even need to have electricity.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

I haven't been using Facebook as often recently, but I noticed a week or so ago everybody was viral-spreading some info about how Facebook was passing one of those new "fine-print" rules that would somehow allow them to collect and utilize anything posted by anybody. So I am assuming what people were concerned about was that any ideas, musical or otherwise, could be ripped off. This sort of thing. But I assume largely it is more related to targeted advertising.

a reply to: corsair00

Well I hope they read this and take note.

Any company that sends me targeted advertisement, goes on my "NO" "BUY" list.

originally posted by: corsair00
a reply to: MystikMushroom

I haven't been using Facebook as often recently, but I noticed a week or so ago everybody was viral-spreading some info about how Facebook was passing one of those new "fine-print" rules that would somehow allow them to collect and utilize anything posted by anybody. So I am assuming what people were concerned about was that any ideas, musical or otherwise, could be ripped off. This sort of thing. But I assume largely it is more related to targeted advertising.

That is a hoax.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom

The one annoying thing is that now Amazon is showing commercials for the device, and people are saying, "Hey Alexa, play road trip playlist" on TV...which in turn actives MY Amazon Echo and pretty soon Bruno Mars is playing one of his little goblin songs.

That just made my night, cheers good sir

a reply to: Vector99

Haha! I actually have this nightmare that I wake up in bed at like 2 AM and hear this slight humming sound. As it grows I begin to hear words...

"You make me feeeeel like ... I've been locked out of heaven...."

I look over the side of my bed to see Bruno Mars's little gremlin face grinning at me. He finishes up the song line, and as he's singing 'for so loooooong' he slowly slides back under my bed.

a reply to: CannibalCorpse1982

Yes, in fact I've tested it (unscientifically) and off-phone conversations definitely seem to steer ads.

a reply to: CannibalCorpse1982

And here you thought Skynet was fiction?

www.bbc.com...

Look, being completely honest with you, you're studied, weighed and measured, as well as what you watch and listen to, and your sources of entertainment - by the government - for very good reasons I can't really get into.

Now there are corporate interests which leverage similar mechanisms to do the same thing, and being sincere, if most companies had their way, you'd be donating all your time and money to them.

Yes, if you purchased your phone in the United States or her allies - then the phone and camera are always passively on, in a low power consumption mode to acquire information.

With this mode, as an operative we see a transcript which quite frankly comes across not making the correct voice to speaker assignment. So even for human operators, it's difficult to say who say what until you turn the device into active listening mode.

Now there are several companies 'out there' who actively gather your real time environmental information and sell it to marketers. There's ABSOLUTELY nothing we in the government can do about these companies because there's no legal precedence set for reselling marketing data of this nature when you're a consumer of their services.

So this leaves it up to you as a consumer - investigate your phone. if it's android, then you're referring to Google, who has a program called adwords which target markets you as a consumer. Google does the same target marketing when you browse a web page, and since you have 100% identified your account with your phone and you, you've just handed over target marketing information over to Google on a silver platter.

My advice is to contact Google. Complain. They didn't 'place' these things in their phones because the government requested or insisted. That's crap. They did it voluntarily for reselling customer data to promote their own services, and merely 'use' the government to shift blame when people find out about what they've done.

it's time these companies hold themselves responsible for their own actions and quit insisting that they were a victim of a government everyone seem to love to hate.

Mine doesn't work when I want it to , so probably not going to work for them .
And any ways , if they are listening now then I hope they agree my wife's a miserable bastard !

Just saying !
Ps don't tell her .

My wife and I do not even have "smart phones" and have without a doubt seen commercials directly tied in to conversations we have had come up within hours of the conversation. coincidences, and are way too off the beaten path to be chance synchronicity. Big brother is indeed watching and tailoring your commercials practically tot he thoughts going through our heads. It is downright spooky and happens too often to be anything else. Strange world we live in nowadays. These are not random a reply to: CannibalCorpse1982