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Wow. It's not even just everything you buy from Google--from the post it seems like they actively compile and organize the data from every purchaser transaction

Wow. It's not even just everything you buy from Google--from the post it seems like they actively compile and organize the data from every purchaser transaction that touches your GMail account. I think we deserve to hear from Google about this one. Unless we have already?

nemasu 5y ago
I wonder if it's to get that fancy header at the top of purchase emails.
- jaywalk 5y ago
  They wouldn't have to store the data after the email was deleted if that was the only reason.
kreeben 5y ago
"We're organizing the world's information and making it searchable [so that we can show you ads]."
- prepend 5y ago
  “And dynamically price things based on your income and calculated demand”
tablespoon 5y ago
> Wow. It's not even just everything you buy from Google--from the post it seems like they actively compile and organize the data from every purchaser transaction that touches your GMail account. IIRC, that's why Amazon purchase emails are utterly useless now. They realized Google was getting their precious customer data via Gmail, so they cut off the flow years ago. It's another example of how the modern economy has many consumer-hostile incentives that have actually led to regressions rather than improvements.
- standardUser 5y ago
  Huh, I suppose that's why I sometimes have to click through several different Amazon emails to find the specific order or shipment I'm looking for. They've removed the details from the actual email.
  - tablespoon 5y ago
    > Huh, I suppose that's why I sometimes have to click through several different Amazon emails to find the specific order or shipment I'm looking for. They've removed the details from the actual email. Yeah, and there's nothing you can do. I don't even use gmail anymore, and the emails are still garbage. I think for awhile they used to include a truncated name of one of the products in the order, but it looks like they even removed that (sometime around August 2019, based on my emails). Unrelated observation: in my original comment I added a second paragraph noting that this regression was due to the incentives caused by modern capitalism (and it is: owners trying to extract maximum value for themselves, even if that means hurting their customers), and it immediately started getting downvoted. Then I change "capitalism" to "economy" and it started going up again. Some people are really sensitive. It must be blasphemy to criticize the invisible hand and the wisdom of the owners ti guides. I guess right is whatever they do.
    - space_fountain 5y ago
      Could also be that they just want you back on their site because some ab test at some point decided you're more likely to be buy from them again if they can get you back onto amazon.com
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
  - Spooky23 5y ago
    It benefits them in many ways. Good luck figuring out where a random Amazon box was ordered from if there are multiple buyers in your household.
  - 5y ago
kelp 5y ago
The first time I heard about Gmail collecting your purchase history, I moved to Fastmail and I've been pretty happy. Downside is Gmail search is a lot better than Fastmail's. But otherwise it's worked great.
- Isthatablackgsd 5y ago
  Gmail Search is getting subpar now than it was before. It didn't show the email that I knew the subject, or the body have that. Sometimes I have added the email address or several names to get it to find the email. Sometimes it works. 5 years ago, it has no problem finding those emails. And now, it is hit and miss. This is on my Google Workplace account.
- hpkuarg 5y ago
  I've been a happy Fastmail user for years as well, but now am looking to switch away due to the Australian surveillance bill.
peakaboo 5y ago
In 2021, I'm surprised people expect Google to give you privacy.
GeekyBear 5y ago
>It's not even just everything you buy from Google--from the post it seems like they actively compile and organize the data from every purchaser transaction that touches your GMail account. Google literally buys a copy of most people's credit card transaction data. >Google has been able to track your location using Google Maps for a long time. Since 2014, it has used that information to provide advertisers with information on how often people visit their stores. But store visits aren’t purchases, so, as Google said in a blog post on its new service for marketers, it has partnered with “third parties” that give them access to 70 percent of all credit and debit card purchases. https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/05/25/242717/google-now-tracks-your-credit-card-purchases-and-connects-them-to-its-online-profile-of-you/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/05/25/242717/google-no...
samstave 5y ago
Drat!!! Google knows all about my dealings with Nigerian Princes!! I'm ruined!

nemasu 5y ago

I wonder if it's to get that fancy header at the top of purchase emails.

jaywalk 5y ago
They wouldn't have to store the data after the email was deleted if that was the only reason.

kreeben 5y ago

"We're organizing the world's information and making it searchable [so that we can show you ads]."

prepend 5y ago
“And dynamically price things based on your income and calculated demand”

tablespoon 5y ago

> Wow. It's not even just everything you buy from Google--from the post it seems like they actively compile and organize the data from every purchaser transaction that touches your GMail account. IIRC, that's why Amazon purchase emails are utterly useless now. They realized Google was getting their precious customer data via Gmail, so they cut off the flow years ago. It's another example of how the modern economy has many consumer-hostile incentives that have actually led to regressions rather than improvements.

standardUser 5y ago
Huh, I suppose that's why I sometimes have to click through several different Amazon emails to find the specific order or shipment I'm looking for. They've removed the details from the actual email.
- tablespoon 5y ago
  > Huh, I suppose that's why I sometimes have to click through several different Amazon emails to find the specific order or shipment I'm looking for. They've removed the details from the actual email. Yeah, and there's nothing you can do. I don't even use gmail anymore, and the emails are still garbage. I think for awhile they used to include a truncated name of one of the products in the order, but it looks like they even removed that (sometime around August 2019, based on my emails). Unrelated observation: in my original comment I added a second paragraph noting that this regression was due to the incentives caused by modern capitalism (and it is: owners trying to extract maximum value for themselves, even if that means hurting their customers), and it immediately started getting downvoted. Then I change "capitalism" to "economy" and it started going up again. Some people are really sensitive. It must be blasphemy to criticize the invisible hand and the wisdom of the owners ti guides. I guess right is whatever they do.
  - space_fountain 5y ago
    Could also be that they just want you back on their site because some ab test at some point decided you're more likely to be buy from them again if they can get you back onto amazon.com
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- Spooky23 5y ago
  It benefits them in many ways. Good luck figuring out where a random Amazon box was ordered from if there are multiple buyers in your household.
- 5y ago

kelp 5y ago

The first time I heard about Gmail collecting your purchase history, I moved to Fastmail and I've been pretty happy. Downside is Gmail search is a lot better than Fastmail's. But otherwise it's worked great.

Isthatablackgsd 5y ago
Gmail Search is getting subpar now than it was before. It didn't show the email that I knew the subject, or the body have that. Sometimes I have added the email address or several names to get it to find the email. Sometimes it works. 5 years ago, it has no problem finding those emails. And now, it is hit and miss. This is on my Google Workplace account.
hpkuarg 5y ago
I've been a happy Fastmail user for years as well, but now am looking to switch away due to the Australian surveillance bill.

peakaboo 5y ago

In 2021, I'm surprised people expect Google to give you privacy.

GeekyBear 5y ago

>It's not even just everything you buy from Google--from the post it seems like they actively compile and organize the data from every purchaser transaction that touches your GMail account. Google literally buys a copy of most people's credit card transaction data. >Google has been able to track your location using Google Maps for a long time. Since 2014, it has used that information to provide advertisers with information on how often people visit their stores. But store visits aren’t purchases, so, as Google said in a blog post on its new service for marketers, it has partnered with “third parties” that give them access to 70 percent of all credit and debit card purchases. https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/05/25/242717/google-now-tracks-your-credit-card-purchases-and-connects-them-to-its-online-profile-of-you/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/05/25/242717/google-no...

samstave 5y ago

Drat!!! Google knows all about my dealings with Nigerian Princes!! I'm ruined!