[Technology] Big Brother Watching? (Facebook)

[Change at Barnham]

A friend gave me a gift of a pack of 3 pairs of socks made by a company called Stance that I have never heard of.
I have never looked online for socks, and I had never prior to receiving the gift mentioned socks in any message to anyone.

After receiving the gift I sent a WhatsApp message to my friend thanking them for the socks, but never mentioning the brand.
The next morning on Facebook the very first advert I saw was for me to buy Stance socks.

I believe that Facebook also owns WhatsApp.
I can only assume that by me mentioning 'socks' in a WhatsApp message, that Big Brother (Facebook) has used some system to see what my friend has been looking at on their computer and then sent the link for the brand to me.

I'm totally aware of how cookies help target what we have individually been searching for.
But this was just the use of the word 'socks' in a WhatsApp message. Yet an advert for the same obscure brand suddenly appeared.
So I'm guessing that they link our friends and contacts search history into our Facebook feed and not just our own.

It makes the Cambridge Analytica and the Russian intrusion suddenly feel very close to home.

 

[Stat Brother]

I heard later on today it was going to be the afternoon.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

The more info you put into the ether, the higher your chances of being compromised. The nearest thing I use to social mefia is NSC. I don’t use facebook or instagram etc and I still don’t feel safe from intrusion. These technologies have only been with us for a comparatively short time, God only knows how controlled we will all be in the future.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

In my front room have an Amazon Alexa and about 6months ago I mentioned to my Wife, within earshot of Alexa, that I needed a wheelbarrow to assist in tidying up the garden. For the next two weeks the Amazon pop up bar on my Mac just showed available deals on wheelbarrows. I now only power up Alexa when I need to.....

TNBA

TTF

 

[Knocky's Nose]

The missus bought an Alexa a few weeks ago, and me being me I wanted to know how well it 'listened'.

I walked two rooms away (jn a fair sized house) and quietly said "Alexa play Level 42". It bloody did !!!

There is absolutely no way the wife, kids or even the dog would have heard me say that, from that distance, at that volume - yet Alexa got me loud and clear.

I find it worrying just how good that cute little barrel of woven cloth and plastic can listen in, and if I'm honest - I don't like it one bit.

 

[Bozza]

WhatsApp messages are encrypted end-to-end which means Facebook can't access the details within them directly.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

In my front room have an Amazon Alexa and about 6months ago I mentioned to my Wife, within earshot of Alexa, that I needed a wheelbarrow to assist in tidying up the garden. For the next two weeks the Amazon pop up bar on my Mac just showed available deals on wheelbarrows. I now only power up Alexa when I need to.....

TNBA

TTF

And when do you really find it necessary to power up Alexa ? It's just an expensive gimmick .

 

[Change at Barnham]

WhatsApp messages are encrypted end-to-end which means Facebook can't access the details within them directly.

I accept that, but I can't explain why that specialist brand of socks should suddenly appear on my Facebook feed. Particularly as a few hours earlier I had never even heard of them.
It all seems a bit too much of a coincidence.

 

[Robdinho]

I accept that, but I can't explain why that specialist brand of socks should suddenly appear on my Facebook feed. Particularly as a few hours earlier I had never even heard of them.
It all seems a bit too much of a coincidence.

Had you mentioned them out loud in the vicinity of your phone? It's not just Alexa who is listening.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I accept that, but I can't explain why that specialist brand of socks should suddenly appear on my Facebook feed. Particularly as a few hours earlier I had never even heard of them.
It all seems a bit too much of a coincidence.

Did your friend order the socks online? If so, their purchase will be in their cookies, and in some way then connected to you?

 

[Fungus]

I accept that, but I can't explain why that specialist brand of socks should suddenly appear on my Facebook feed. Particularly as a few hours earlier I had never even heard of them.
It all seems a bit too much of a coincidence.

If it seems like too much of a coincidence, then it is.

Presumably your friend ordered the socks online, and his identity has been linked to yours, via email, messaging or phone number hence it will know what brand of socks.

Chances are a lot of his friends are also getting the Stance adverts, regardless of whether he actually gave them socks.

But who gives their friend three pairs of socks?

 

[Change at Barnham]

Did your friend order the socks online? If so, their purchase will be in their cookies, and in some way then connected to you?

Yes, they did order them online.
But how would that connect to me?
I mentioned the word 'socks' in a WhatsApp message after receiving them but no mention of the brand. It's all a bit spooky.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

More to the point, what kind of friend gives you a gift of three pairs of socks?

 

[Flex Your Head]

The missus bought an Alexa a few weeks ago, and me being me I wanted to know how well it 'listened'.

I walked two rooms away (jn a fair sized house) and quietly said "Alexa play Level 42". It bloody did !!!

There is absolutely no way the wife, kids or even the dog would have heard me say that, from that distance, at that volume - yet Alexa got me loud and clear.

I find it worrying just how good that cute little barrel of woven cloth and plastic can listen in, and if I'm honest - I don't like it one bit.

Level 42? Of all the music in the world, you chose Level 42

 

[Change at Barnham]

More to the point, what kind of friend gives you a gift of three pairs of socks?

I fall into the Old Fart category who has got pretty much everything I want and therefore hard to buy for.
They are actually a brand I wouldn't have looked at because I always get my socks from M&S.
But in actual fact they are very comfortable, great colours and will be ideal for watching football on a winters day.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

I accept that, but I can't explain why that specialist brand of socks should suddenly appear on my Facebook feed. Particularly as a few hours earlier I had never even heard of them.
It all seems a bit too much of a coincidence.

Me and miss WD have been speaking about back pain recently and what do you know, adverts for back pain keep popping up!

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

 

[Bozza]

Yes, they did order them online.
But how would that connect to me?

If you are a Facebook friend of your friend then it's very easy.

The site almost certainly has a FB pixel on it, which allows the sock company to retarget those that visit their site with ads when they are on Facebook. From there they can also choose to target people that are like those that have visited their site, so FB will show their ads to people it considers similar to the profile of your friend. Friends of these people, ie you, fit this very nicely.

 

[happypig]

Level 42? Of all the music in the world, you chose Level 42

Maybe he's Chinese, it's thier way

 

[Knocky's Nose]

Level 42? Of all the music in the world, you chose Level 42

First thing that came into my head. I could have lied and said 'Skiff Rhythym 7 by Alfonso DuPrezzo III, in D Major' or something, but hey...

 

[BLOCK F]

I was looking up Bentley cars online and and also petite blondes who appreciate the older man, and you 'll never guess what turned up in our drive the other day!
I am now sleeping in the shed!