Big Brother is watching you!

[MickinMD ★]

So I loaded a cbssports.com baseball story into my browser and there, at the top, are ads for two things I bought and mentioned here in the past week or so: Cento brand Crushed Tomatoes that I used as pizza sauce and Wapsipinicon Peach tomato seeds - they just began sprouting yesterday.  They're getting my information from sites where I looked at the items online - I bought Cento at a local supermarket and I bought the Wapsipinicon seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds ($1.95/25 seeds) and not Trade Wind Fruit, whose add this is ($2.50/15 seeds).  I did order, got and planted Brandywine and Sun Gold tomato seeds from Trade Wind Fruit.

What's crazy about the ads I see is that they tend to be for things I've already bought!  I'm not seeing ads for seed varieties I looked at but haven't bought or or the many brands of automatic breadmakers I looked at on Amazon but didn't buy: just the Kitchenarm 29-in-1 Smart Bread Machine I bought. It's pretty inefficient to advertise things people already bought.

[maddmaxx ★]

All that information is for sale.  I recently ordered a magazine subscription and suddenly my junk email has tripled.  Ad's for everything and I assume that my address was sold by the marketing people at the magazine.

[donkpow]

Nobody ever said big brother was exceedingly smart. Except George, of course.

[MoseySusan]

6 hours ago, MickinMD said:

What's crazy about the ads I see is that they tend to be for things I've already bought!

Repeating what you’ve already thought isn’t nearly as frightening as directing what you’re going to think. Which type of ads do you prefer? The ones that validate a previous purchase and remind you to purchase that product again, or the ones that imply your world is somehow incomplete without the purchase of…

[12string]

I actually prefer ads directed based on my browsing history.

What's freaky is getting ads for things we talk about, but don't enter into any browser or email.

[groupw]

I was listening to the radio a while back. The conversation prompted a memory of a woman who came into the record store after drinking 2 Jolt Colas! She was pretty hyper! I didn’t remember sharing that story for many years, never said anything aloud since I was driving the car alone at the time and the story on the radio that triggers the thought again said nothing about Jolt. And yet when I grabbed lunch that day, the first ad on my phone was for..,,Jolt Cola! I just wondered how complex the algorithm had to be to do that!

[Kzoo]

34 minutes ago, groupw said:

I was listening to the radio a while back. The conversation prompted a memory of a woman who came into the record store after drinking 2 Jolt Colas! She was pretty hyper! I didn’t remember sharing that story for many years, never said anything aloud since I was driving the car alone at the time and the story on the radio that triggers the thought again said nothing about Jolt. And yet when I grabbed lunch that day, the first ad on my phone was for..,,Jolt Cola! I just wondered how complex the algorithm had to be to do that!

You don't want to know.

 

[Dottleshead ★]

No so.  Big Brother is a government agency.  You're claiming private industry is doing the same thing.  I fail to see the difference.  Also, please note, I worked for a database company that literally mined every click off of a rather large website.  And as Max mentioned, your address has been sold a kajillion times.  Fact is, you, I, and the rest of us big business corporate lackeys are nothing more than a consumer with a dollar sign above our heads. Everything out there is a chance to acquire you as a new customer or client.

[donkpow]

Makes you wish for the days of Ma Bell, doesn't it?

[Kzoo]

8 minutes ago, Dottles said:

I fail to see the difference. 

You fail to recognize the difference between a government agency and a commercial business?  Did you pass civics in high school?

 

[Dottleshead ★]

Just now, Kzoo said:

You fail to recognize the difference between a government agency and a commercial business?  Did you pass civics in high school?

 

I failed that but made up for it at the school of Satan.

[ChrisL]

My wife often mentioned ads show up on her phone for things she discusses and not even searches for on her phone.  She’s convinced big brother is listening as well. 

[MickinMD ★]

5 hours ago, Kzoo said:

You fail to recognize the difference between a government agency and a commercial business?  Did you pass civics in high school?

 

There's a blurry line between government agencies and some commercial businesses today.

[shootingstar]

 I work for a large govn't organization...well actually several in the past. I also work in the same business unit where a line divisional group administers freedom of info. requests, information  privacy breaches, etc.

For those who have worked for  govn't, at least in canada, a member of the public prominently is asked about consenting to sharing only base info. between 2 govn't agencies to do on only their work, to deliver services for a Canadian resident or online applicant for Canadian govn't services.  For instance  Service Canada (for social insurance number, canada pension plan) to share info. across to Canadian Revenue Agency. It's not big brother, unless you're lying /being fraudulent to govn't. The sharing of info. with online user consent, is govn't efficiency. Isn't that what everyone wants all the time:  govn't efficiency by not repeating same old info. or  info. disconnects about a taxpayer/employee? 

In Canada, federal govn't and some provinces publish lists of databases on the web, where personal info. is stored for x years.  The private sector does not  do this. You really don't know at all.

The govn't agencies that don't do audits on individuals outside of their own govn't dept. authority, they aren't watching you. There is a piece of legislation that defines the authority for each govn't dept. or ministry. It defines it within the first 5 sections of a statute. Their web metrics traffic, anonymize the hundreds, millions of annual searchers on websites...because federal and provincial law on collecting personal information and protection of privacy is strict.  Besides the govn't workers don't have time  for unique info. about you. It's more on demographics of who is using their services OR identifying existing needs to make services better.

Why shouldn't the govn't tax authorities, audit a unusual tax  file, based on info. they have collected and records they can keep by law for 7 yrs. in Canada?  Part of my job is the  point person for our team to work with all business units on legislative compliance and negotiating /confirming length of time we keep info. Part of the job  is  improving our system to make it less complex, keep it current (ie. kick out requirements for services our organization no longer provides, etc.)

What might be perceived as  govn't watching..might be more on the policing side. But for them, there are also requirements for them. When they ask for additional information, there are certain steps and sign offs before info. is released to police.  

I think in certain areas, people WANT govn't to step in, in partnership with the police for investigations for money laundering, etc.

I actually fear the private sector alot more,  as  shown above by people giving examples,  it's all profit driven.  The  mechanisms to request for protection of information is not as  transparent as  govn't agencies.  the govn't agencies provide open information on public websites how to inquire, etc.  For private sector firms, much more closed/difficult. 

 

 

[shootingstar]

I participate in some govn't surveys.... you can tell what is genuine (well, being a librarian and working for several govn't agencies there are simple ways to check for info. authenticity), and they will give an  open phone number and email address for you to contact. One also readily can unsubscribe. No pop-up contracts, just message that they are collecting info. anonymously if they haven't asked for your personal info. ie. name, etc.

The sad thing is that govn't more than ever, often works really hard these days to allow the public to comment, offer that they are collecting info. for the purpose at hand, etc.

I've worked in  major private firms...and I know how closed they can be to non-clients. And these are good firms.

[KrAzY]

I hope Big Brother likes porn... that's all they are getting from jsharr 

[Kzoo]

9 hours ago, MickinMD said:

There's a blurry line between government agencies and some commercial businesses today.

There’s a document I read once In civics class that begs to argue with you.