You are the product. Corporations spying on us deeper than we thought?

[serveria.com]

Ok, everybody knows we are being spied on by the corporations like Google, Meta, Microsoft etc. That's a pretty well-known fact and is generally accepted by the public. However, I started noticing some alarming facts recently: I am being offered stuff I mention while I'm on the phone. Then, I noticed they're offering stuff I mention while chatting with my family while the phone is located somewhere in the room.

Finally, what's really scary, today I was talking to someone (while my phone was nearby) regarding a car key. I started using my phone a bit later and I was shocked to find out there's an ad containing the very same Merc key we were discussing and I was holding in my hands! Then suddenly I realized this is not the first time something like that happens. Which means that the phone is listening? (recording?) to our conversations and possibly also filming the whole thing?

Can we discuss it? Perhaps I'm overreacting or being paranoid and there's a simple explanation for this?   

[franky1]

these corporations are smart, they do look at your search history. and they can come to some very smart conclusions

let me put a lil square of tinfoil on my head
samsungs own privacy terms website page:




when it says "samsung doesnt share with external parties" it does not say "samsung and samsungs business partners do not share with external parties"
it also doesnt say "samsung does not share with business partners"
so you can see how data does escape samsung servers by reading what it does not say

its that old lie families tell each other..
brother does something wrong like spy on the neighbours daughter and puts the evidence in sisters room. sister then uses it for other nafarious purposes that negatively affects neighbours daughter.. like sends picture to everyone at school
when confronted. the brother says "i didnt do it i dont send pics to classmates"

when certain phone services say they will record using phone mic "to learn when commands are triggered" and then they have other terms that say they "gather data to offer better service and improve features reliability". and then say they share gathered data with business partners..  join the dots

..
the best way to really test if your voice assistant is sending non voice command mic recording conversations in your proximity to external advertising businesses.. is to purposefully think up a couple of words completely unrelated to your life(things you wont search for on phone)
and have conversations near your phone multiple times for a few weeks

EG if you have no interest in history or animals and never search for them. specifically start talking about jurassic park franchise/merchandise
EG if you dont have kids. talk about baby clothes, toys, diapers, strollers,
EG if your young talk about retirement villages

[Juse14]

Most people will think like that, assuming that their cell phone is eavesdropping on conversations or as if they are spying on them, and that kind of assumption is something that is normal, but I think that is too much, and it is true - sometimes it is by chance when we want an item or product. Often times advertisements for products and goods suddenly appear. And I think this can happen because sometimes when we want something, we often see reviews and explanations of the product via social media or search via web searches. And maybe that's what causes advertisements for the products we want to often appear on our cellphones.

And the exact reason why we get or see advertisements appear is that the advertisements seem to correlate with what we are talking about and what we want. This can happen because most technology and marketing companies work together to collect a number of people's personal and behavioral data.

[Upgrade00]

I cannot find any record of search engines admitting to listening to our conversations but there are far too many occurrences of it happening and very distinct part of the world for it to be a mere coincidence.

When we understand that data is the prize and everyone is looking to get more and more of it to out-intrude their competitiors, when we do this we begin to break down the walls of limitation we put in place.
I have had cases were I randomly talked about an old friend to another old friend, and Facebook recommendsnthat exact friend to me. This is just one of many cases and it happens with regularity to indicate that voice data is being monitored and collected.

[South Park]

Ok, everybody knows we are being spied on by the corporations like Google, Meta, Microsoft etc. That's a pretty well-known fact and is generally accepted by the public. However, I started noticing some alarming facts recently: I am being offered stuff I mention while I'm on the phone. Then, I noticed they're offering stuff I mention while chatting with my family while the phone is located somewhere in the room.

Finally, what's really scary, today I was talking to someone (while my phone was nearby) regarding a car key. I started using my phone a bit later and I was shocked to find out there's an ad containing the very same Merc key we were discussing and I was holding in my hands! Then suddenly I realized this is not the first time something like that happens. Which means that the phone is listening? (recording?) to our conversations and possibly also filming the whole thing?

Can we discuss it? Perhaps I'm overreacting or being paranoid and there's a simple explanation for this?   

As much as those companies deny that level of surveillance, it has gotten to the point that it is too obvious this is the case and people are accepting this as fact, so what to do? If I am not mistaken there were some phones that were released that had the option to physically disconnect the camera or the microphone by flipping a small switch, but I do not think much success was had as the phone was too expensive and people were not willing to pay extra for this feature.

[dothebeats]

That is why it's essential to not give apps a lot of permissions such as recording and camera especially if that app won't even use those things for it to function. It's been known that Google, Meta, and Amazon use your device's recording capabilities to allow for a more personalized ads that you are more likely to be lured at. Ever wonder why companies pay Google big bucks to use their Google Analytics platform? There's a lot that these corporations can do because we allow them to, albeit unknowingly, of coursez since most of them are hidden in layers of text that a normal person won't likely read anyway.

[Renampun]

I'm not a security expert, but from several videos on YouTube that I've seen, several IT experts who work for security say don't just give permission (when installing the application) to record conversations and audio, sometimes malware can infiltrate from there, they also say that If you suspect that your smartphone has been infiltrated by malware then you can see that one of the symptoms is that your cellphone battery runs out quickly, that's because the installed malware APK is constantly active, there are also some security experts who say just use Huawei because it's safer than American products, I not so sure, we must be able to protect our privacy as best as possible, don't just activate the internet on your smartphone when you are using your smartphone for personal activities.

[blockman]

You are not overreacting but this is how the algorithm goes when they've heard some specific brands, they're going to send you a blast off of those ads that are related to the brand or product/services that you've mentioned. Actually, there have been a lot of memes about this and if you a regular tech guy that understands this, you'd definitely expect to see food ads just after speaking about your favorite tacos, pizzas, etc. We use their services and platforms for free and if things are for free then you must be aware that we're their products being sold to their advertisers. This is how it goes and became a norm, if you don't want to get into these algorithms being done to your phone and to your accounts in social medias and search engines, much better not to use the internet. Because if you're aware of cookies, the internet cookies, then that's just one of the many that they're doing to all of their users and that's how they make money from advertisers and users that enjoys their platforms. What I do, I reject those cookie permissions, disabling recording if they ask to and even putting some blockage to my front camera which is common to laptops.

[alani123]

Is this anything new though?
I'm pretty sure that we've know for a long time that free services such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube ande ven Google etc. make bank on selling our data to advertisers.

The more successful these corporations are at targeting you with ads right on your interests, the more likely it is they'll be picked by those being advertised.
So keep this in mind next time you sign up to another website.

Thankfully, GDPR kind of helps in this regard. Allowing people to delete their accounts and recall all their data along with any permissions they might have given in the past helps restore some balance in terms of privacy.
But most people will be tempted to actually ask for their account deletion on big platforms, as it would also require an account deletion and these platforms are kind of monopolizing access to their info sadly.

[serveria.com]

You are not overreacting but this is how the algorithm goes when they've heard some specific brands, they're going to send you a blast off of those ads that are related to the brand or product/services that you've mentioned. Actually, there have been a lot of memes about this and if you a regular tech guy that understands this, you'd definitely expect to see food ads just after speaking about your favorite tacos, pizzas, etc. We use their services and platforms for free and if things are for free then you must be aware that we're their products being sold to their advertisers. This is how it goes and became a norm, if you don't want to get into these algorithms being done to your phone and to your accounts in social medias and search engines, much better not to use the internet. Because if you're aware of cookies, the internet cookies, then that's just one of the many that they're doing to all of their users and that's how they make money from advertisers and users that enjoys their platforms. What I do, I reject those cookie permissions, disabling recording if they ask to and even putting some blockage to my front camera which is common to laptops.

That's the most terrifying part: no brands or exact models or names were mentioned. My guess is that my phone scanned the area around it and located the phone of the other person, identified him and his car. The car was identified correctly as Mercedes has at least 3-4 different key types and the ad on my phone suggested the EXACT key I held in my hands. That's not a coincidence. This is some next level spying.

[mirakal]

I cannot find any record of search engines admitting to listening to our conversations but there are far too many occurrences of it happening and very distinct part of the world for it to be a mere coincidence.

When we understand that data is the prize and everyone is looking to get more and more of it to out-intrude their competitiors, when we do this we begin to break down the walls of limitation we put in place.
I have had cases were I randomly talked about an old friend to another old friend, and Facebook recommendsnthat exact friend to me. This is just one of many cases and it happens with regularity to indicate that voice data is being monitored and collected.

As much as privacy is concern, but the moment we decide to use these smart phones, note that it has its connection to an app store. It has its monitoring device that keep us tracked, so the more we tend to use it, the higher chances that our actions and responses are being in controlled or monitored by them. Even if we disable these location services or remove these unnecessary apps, that will not guarantee that we are still not monitored by them.

For me, the best option is to turn off your phone when you are conversing or making an important transaction. That is the best way not to indulge your own privacy.

[dothebeats]

You are not overreacting but this is how the algorithm goes when they've heard some specific brands, they're going to send you a blast off of those ads that are related to the brand or product/services that you've mentioned. Actually, there have been a lot of memes about this and if you a regular tech guy that understands this, you'd definitely expect to see food ads just after speaking about your favorite tacos, pizzas, etc. We use their services and platforms for free and if things are for free then you must be aware that we're their products being sold to their advertisers. This is how it goes and became a norm, if you don't want to get into these algorithms being done to your phone and to your accounts in social medias and search engines, much better not to use the internet. Because if you're aware of cookies, the internet cookies, then that's just one of the many that they're doing to all of their users and that's how they make money from advertisers and users that enjoys their platforms. What I do, I reject those cookie permissions, disabling recording if they ask to and even putting some blockage to my front camera which is common to laptops.

That's the most terrifying part: no brands or exact models or names were mentioned. My guess is that my phone scanned the area around it and located the phone of the other person, identified him and his car. The car was identified correctly as Mercedes has at least 3-4 different key types and the ad on my phone suggested the EXACT key I held in my hands. That's not a coincidence. This is some next level spying.

You consented to that somewhat. There is an app there somewhere that you agreed to the terms and conditions. Either that or some app on your phone is actively recording whatever is happening on your phone's surroundings to push you ads that are based onnthe conversation it picked up. It's nothing new, that's why in shopping apps, I disable the camera and microphone access, because it's weird for an app to request for those even when they do not need the functionalities given by those parts of your phone.

[btc78]

while it is true that most companies track your activities in your phone, it might be reaching to say that your phone was listening

it could’ve been just a coincidence and most likely it is
a lot of people agree on things they don’t even understand especially on the internet most people don’t even read terms & conditions before clicking accept or choosing to accept cookies in a website anyway the point is all apps have some kind of system where it can see you and what you like or what you dislike sometimes this proves useful as it allows you to curate your feed but sometimes it gives you more ways to spend (advertising)

[coupable]

Finally, what's really scary, today I was talking to someone (while my phone was nearby) regarding a car key. I started using my phone a bit later and I was shocked to find out there's an ad containing the very same Merc key we were discussing and I was holding in my hands! Then suddenly I realized this is not the first time something like that happens. Which means that the phone is listening? (recording?) to our conversations and possibly also filming the whole thing?

Can we discuss it? Perhaps I'm overreacting or being paranoid and there's a simple explanation for this?   

Your doubts are valid, and I am almost certain that we all have doubts about the ability of these applications to obtain these powers. The serious matter is the continued denial of those companies that develop social applications, along with the manufacturers of phone devices.
Honestly, I am not surprised that they dare to continue violating more user privacy, especially with the complicity of the competent state agencies in monitoring these companies. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done about these serious violations if users want to continue using applications produced by these companies.

[joniboini]

My guess is that my phone scanned the area around it and located the phone of the other person, identified him and his car. The car was identified correctly as Mercedes has at least 3-4 different key types and the ad on my phone suggested the EXACT key I held in my hands. That's not a coincidence. This is some next level spying.

Why don't you it test then? Try to see what features are enabled and what apps are installed, then try to mention some brand or whatever you like. After that, you can disable one after another to see if things stay the same or if you're just being paranoid. Who knows, maybe you can find which apps are eavesdropping or if your phone is just recording everything even though you turned off the mic. I honestly doubt the latter though, since if that's the case the company can smell a lawsuit incoming.

As far as I can tell, search results or your activity is likely the culprit for targeted ads like this. Most company is not that shameless as of now. I can't replicate your issue either. But yeah, it is best to be aware that your privacy is always at risk and just turn off any feature that you don't need.

[Darker45]

I also have a somewhat similar experience. But mine is about search suggestions. My curiosity was piqued a few times because after mentioning something and decided to search for it right after, after typing just a letter or two, the exact word that you pronounced is suggested.

I've even shared it with others to also know their reactions and hear their opinions. I'm not sure if I'm also being paranoid but many of those to whom I shared my experience brushed it off as simply coincidence, paranoia on my part, too much thinking about being spied on, algorithm thing, and so on.

But I'm not completely convinced. I think our gadgets are listening to us to a certain extent. If the cameras are spying on us, why can't the mic? And this isn't just plain imagination. Those who have known it by being part of it themselves like Snowden confirm it.

[crwth]

The safe assumption is that "they are always listening" whatever the situation is whether you are in an event, a car, or sleeping, as long as it has battery, they would always be in that aspect.

I think it's pretty much automated with the keywords and once they have detected the tone and word that you are saying, the ads would be able to be tailor-fit to you and that's probably why it was offered to you exactly as it is. Usually, that's the activity tracking you that you might have accepted or something. In iPhones, usually, you accept or decline an app to track. It's probably similar to that.

What I'm not sure of is whether or not it's really "recording" or just waiting for keywords.

[vv181]

Which means that the phone is listening? (recording?) to our conversations and possibly also filming the whole thing?

Can we discuss it? Perhaps I'm overreacting or being paranoid and there's a simple explanation for this?   

That's the most terrifying part: no brands or exact models or names were mentioned. My guess is that my phone scanned the area around it and located the phone of the other person, identified him and his car.

Let's start from the basics, Android or iOS have a feature to check when was the last time your microphone or camera was used and what is the application requesting it. Go look for it, if those things are always readily activated, then it is a bad sign. You should never automatically accept those two things to run in the background. Furthermore, if you don't excessively use Siri or other personal assistants, you should deactivate its features.

After that, if you still do not believe that feature to tell you the truth, well you should throw away the phone all along. The phone is a noisy data and metadata producer about its owner.

[Strongkored]

Don't know that they are spying on our conversations or chats, so far I only know that every time we search on a search engine they will record that is why we often get advertisements related to our searches, there are many ways to avoid this on YouTube or Google and I don't know for sure how effective this method is because I haven't tried it and prefer to be more careful in giving permission to the applications I install on my Android.

[Poker Player]

That is why it's essential to not give apps a lot of permissions such as recording and camera especially if that app won't even use those things for it to function. It's been known that Google, Meta, and Amazon use your device's recording capabilities to allow for a more personalized ads that you are more likely to be lured at. Ever wonder why companies pay Google big bucks to use their Google Analytics platform? There's a lot that these corporations can do because we allow them to, albeit unknowingly, of coursez since most of them are hidden in layers of text that a normal person won't likely read anyway.

That's the point, people give all the permissions without looking at the apps and then are surprised because things like the OP describes happen.

Guys, let's see if you get this straight, the big business of the 21st century is neither RE nor guns nor drugs as in the 20th, it's Big Data. That is why it is more important than ever to take care of privacy in your phone use, paying with cash and using bitcoin taking care of privacy to the maximum.