Google Is Watching You

[mexicola]

I used to often see video game ads on the side of the screen when I'm browsing random websites, I don't any more. I'm not sure if that was aimed specifically at me or if they are just that all-present.

 

[Esotera]

Haven't noticed it because apparently I am one of the few people on earth that doesn't use google as a search engine.

Bubbling is their worst practice. Say they've collected information from you that indicates you're republican - if you search for politics their ranking algorithm makes it more likely for pages that match your views show up.

Basically google is the microsoft of the 21st century, except their products are good, and barely anyone thinks they're evil.

 

[ElNeroDiablo]

There is a reason why I block scripts I know are NOT related to the particular site I am visiting (mods: this means your site and ads are NOT filtered on my system, as per the TOS), it's so I don't have a huge bank of data following me for every bit of data I send/receive online just for targeted (yeah, with a friggen Dragoon-class warship's cannons [http://www.schlockmercenary.com/]) ads for stuff I am 99% of the time NOT interested in.

I ~LIKE~ to keep my surfing habits and site history PRIVATE TYVM, Google, Microsoft-Bing & Yahoo. A person is MORE than what they surf through on the internet y'kno.
Just because I read The Whiteboard (a paintball webcomic) doesn't mean I'm interested in ads trying to hock me paintball markers, ammo and gear, especially considering it's really damn hard to get the LICENSES for that stuff (let alone purchase the damn marker) here in Australia, and I don't read the comic BECAUSE it's got paintball in it, I read it because it's INTERESTING (oh, and funny too).

 

[JWRosser]

Just FYI, if you clear your history you're fine. Or, at least, it doesn't show up on my /history.

 

[Saltyk]

Wait. There are ads on Google? So that's what those unimportant squiggles on the side of the search is.

I don't really care if they watch my searches. I ignore ads pretty much everywhere.

Nope. Google is a piece of crap so I uninstalled the browser and use bing now. Microsoft ftw! Even if their main goal is world domination.

To be fair, so is mine.

 

[ElNeroDiablo]

Just FYI, if you clear your history you're fine. Or, at least, it doesn't show up on my /history.

Clearing your history doesn't really help, but clearing your cache helps more by clearing out tracking cookies from Google and the like, as your history doesn't tell the trackers jack-shit when it comes time to sending your 'targeted' advertising, that job is done by cookies and scripting on the website.

 

[Something Amyss]

Recently I've been searching the store Michaels a lot, as I've been trying to get a job there. Lately, however I've noticed that suddenly a lot of the cheezburger network pages are showing me Michaels adds everywhere. I found this amusing, as this is the first time Google Adds have been this transparent to me.

So how about you? Had any experience with Google making use of your searches?

Not to be a jerk, but this was a pretty big deal like a year or maybe more ago.

Also, Comcast does the same. I made some e-mails to friends and family about crippling joint pain I was having as a result of a major infection I had that required surgery. I log into their webmail, and guess what the ads are for....

 

[orangeapples]

I was about to post in this topic saying something bad against Google, Microsoft, Apple, AT&T and Verizon, then my computer was suddenly not connected to the internet for about half an hour. All of my other devices had not problems during that time. I don't know how to explain it, but I'm sorry...

 

[floppylobster]

All the time. Amazon too. And I often look up stuff for other people so it's always giving me the worst recommendations.

Where is this going to end? They'll funnel the Internet and tailor it so specifically to your past tastes that you'll never be able to discover something new and unexpected again?

 

[Aerodyamic]

Recently I've been searching the store Michaels a lot, as I've been trying to get a job there. Lately, however I've noticed that suddenly a lot of the cheezburger network pages are showing me Michaels adds everywhere. I found this amusing, as this is the first time Google Adds have been this transparent to me.

So how about you? Had any experience with Google making use of your searches?

Goggle tried watching me for a while, but I got complaints back from their Q&A department; apparently, I need to wear pants more often.

 

[Nulmas]

Well, I was cast as an actor in a short movie recently.

Obviously, I started reading a lot of web pages regarding the movie and the rest of the people in it.

Soon enough, adverts for acting schools started popping up everywhere.

 

[winter2]

I don't even look at the ads so I couldn't really say if they are targeted or not.

 

[RN7]

Nope. Google is a piece of crap so I uninstalled the browser and use bing now. Microsoft ftw! Even if their main goal is world domination.

You do know that MS tracks everything you do to right? All search engines do. It's logged, and subject to court order. Heck, the big boys often give up info on you to the police WITHOUT court order.

Yes, but unlike google, Microsoft isn't secretly ruled by a pantheon of Elder Things who want to devour me. Or some sort of CEOs that fit that description. I guess.

 

[Jelly ^.^]

You cannot hide from Big Brother or the Party. Give in and submit to relevant content on the Prolenet we have sourced for you.

 

[Aeshi]

Yeah they keep a record of every search and every g-mail you've made and I think I read somewhere that Google puts unremovable cookies on your computer.

And yet people still worship them despite the fact that they have demanded the destruction of companies that have done far less.

The Google+ users can parrot that "Google+ doesn't store what you post" image all they want, Google probably already has it all already for a different reason.