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What's scarier, that you saw an ad regarding very personal details of your life because your phone was listening, or even though your phone wasn't listening? P

What's scarier, that you saw an ad regarding very personal details of your life because your phone was listening, or even though your phone wasn't listening? People see this happen and reach for an explanation they understand, "my phone must have been eavesdropping!" The truth is these ad and data companies know this about you without your phone having to listen. To twist a quote from the Matrix: "So you're saying my phone listens to me? No, I'm saying these companies have such wide insights into your personal life and information that they don't have to listen."

short12 5y ago
I don't buy it for one simple reason. If they have so much data to target. Why is there targeting so shitty and ad quality so low? If they had so much data, why not do something useful with it besides low quality ads? I don't subscribe to them listening either to be clear
cgriswald 5y ago
When I notice this experience, it's usually because it's something I don't normally talk about. I don't believe that Facebook knows so much (about me and the people around me) that it knows about unlikely conversations I've just had based on (say) a conversation on a radio station I randomly heard while skimming through channels. I'm willing to believe it's a coincidence combined with my brain happening to bring it to my attention; but I'd believe they're hacking my microphone before I'd believe in clairvoyance.
- behringer 5y ago
  The reality is that they, the ad companies, caused you to think about it or talk about it in the first place without you ever realizing it. Ads work incredibly well on people even when they think they aren't susceptible.
  - blitzar 5y ago
    What is more scary - they listened and then advertised to you or that you are so predictable that they can get you to talk about something totally random with your friends and then sell it to you all?
  - jvanderbot 5y ago
    found the ad man.

short12 5y ago

I don't buy it for one simple reason. If they have so much data to target. Why is there targeting so shitty and ad quality so low? If they had so much data, why not do something useful with it besides low quality ads? I don't subscribe to them listening either to be clear

cgriswald 5y ago

When I notice this experience, it's usually because it's something I don't normally talk about. I don't believe that Facebook knows so much (about me and the people around me) that it knows about unlikely conversations I've just had based on (say) a conversation on a radio station I randomly heard while skimming through channels. I'm willing to believe it's a coincidence combined with my brain happening to bring it to my attention; but I'd believe they're hacking my microphone before I'd believe in clairvoyance.

behringer 5y ago
The reality is that they, the ad companies, caused you to think about it or talk about it in the first place without you ever realizing it. Ads work incredibly well on people even when they think they aren't susceptible.
- blitzar 5y ago
  What is more scary - they listened and then advertised to you or that you are so predictable that they can get you to talk about something totally random with your friends and then sell it to you all?
- jvanderbot 5y ago
  found the ad man.