3 ms·

I think people are really underestimating how much they can use your friends search data (especially ones you have been in close proximity to) for your ads. Or

I think people are really underestimating how much they can use your friends search data (especially ones you have been in close proximity to) for your ads. Or how big their interest "niche" is. There are only so many categories of web users, even on the very fringe there are probably 10k who think and search just like you. And when they are searching/clicking on products, Facebook will show you similar things.

bpanon 9y ago
I have a story about this. A girl I was seeing years ago was looking for a new apartment. She texted me telling me she found a new apartment on 20th and Gladstone Ave and asked me if I wanted to go with her to see it. Minutes later, I get a Google Now update saying "It would take you 43 minutes to get to 2020 Gladstone Ave if you leave now". I thought it was cool at first - Google Now was getting really helpful with the driving suggestions. I also thought it was strange that it was for a specific address - I thought that was a glitch, or the nearest address to that intersection, although Google Now has worked with intersections in the past. I thought Google telling me the time it would take to travel to her apartment showing was impressive enough to actually tell this girl what my phone did. She was not amused and thought that I had hacked her phone. She wanted to know how I knew the exact address of the apartment! I was curious how this could have been possible since she never texted me the exact address and found out she did look it up on Google Maps. So it's clear how Google had the data but sharing it with me seemed like a huge breach of privacy. Perhaps the craziest part of all this is that not 5 minutes after telling this girl what Google did, when I went back to take a screenshot of the suggestion - the Google Now card CHANGED to 20th and Gladstone Ave! I was seriously wondering they were analyzing my conversation afterwards expressing my concern of this breach of privacy and had the "privacy invasion" level turned down a degree.

bpanon 9y ago

I have a story about this. A girl I was seeing years ago was looking for a new apartment. She texted me telling me she found a new apartment on 20th and Gladstone Ave and asked me if I wanted to go with her to see it. Minutes later, I get a Google Now update saying "It would take you 43 minutes to get to 2020 Gladstone Ave if you leave now". I thought it was cool at first - Google Now was getting really helpful with the driving suggestions. I also thought it was strange that it was for a specific address - I thought that was a glitch, or the nearest address to that intersection, although Google Now has worked with intersections in the past. I thought Google telling me the time it would take to travel to her apartment showing was impressive enough to actually tell this girl what my phone did. She was not amused and thought that I had hacked her phone. She wanted to know how I knew the exact address of the apartment! I was curious how this could have been possible since she never texted me the exact address and found out she did look it up on Google Maps. So it's clear how Google had the data but sharing it with me seemed like a huge breach of privacy. Perhaps the craziest part of all this is that not 5 minutes after telling this girl what Google did, when I went back to take a screenshot of the suggestion - the Google Now card CHANGED to 20th and Gladstone Ave! I was seriously wondering they were analyzing my conversation afterwards expressing my concern of this breach of privacy and had the "privacy invasion" level turned down a degree.