Proof that Facebook is listening

[MrsCobraBubbles]

We all have experienced this, right? An eerily accurate targeted ad on your FB feed? An ad for something that you were recently talking about and hadn't ever Googled?

What are yours?

I was thinking about it because my son and I were having a talk last night about his future, he gets really chatty at about 10:00 at night and I was fighting to stay awake and converse with him so I was absent-mindedly scrolling through Facebook while we talked. Anyway, I woke up at 4:00 this morning and again started scrolling through my FB because I didn't feel like getting out of bed. And as I'm scrolling I hear, "Do you enjoy driving and have crippling social anxiety? Have I got the job for you!" (I am paraphrasing but it was something like that). I LOLed because it was almost word for word what my son had said to me the night before . It was a video on my feed about careers in trucking from LadBible or one of those sites, but I'm not subscribed to them, nor have I ever liked their page and it was weirdly specific to what my son and I were talking about 6 hours before.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We all have experienced this, right? An eerily accurate targeted ad on your FB feed? An ad for something that you were recently talking about and hadn't ever Googled?

Nope - not on FB.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Nope - not on FB.

I gave it up for several years during my divorce, then made a new account maybe a year ago? Now I am fully addicted again!

 

[georgina]

I'm confused. You mean you were talking on the phone and then something related showed up on your Facebook? No I have not experienced that. Websites I have visited generate ads all over the web, including here on the Dis.

 

[mmouse37]

Not on Facebook but for sure on Instagram. We could be talking (not looking it up...just talking) about the most random thing and literally minutes later there is an ad for it on my Instagram. Its freaky.

MJ

 

[E&Cmom]

My daughter just applied to University art programs and as we have been looking them up now I keep getting Art school sponsored ads on my FB.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I'm confused. You mean you were talking on the phone and then something related showed up on your Facebook? No I have not experienced that. Websites I have visited generate ads all over the web, including here on the Dis.

Yep, that's exactly what I mean. It seems to be pretty common on Facebook. I'm not sure I really believe that Facebook is spying on private conversations but sometimes the ads are spooky. It happened months ago when a friend and I were having a phone conversation about sharing a rental home in Myrtle Beach and then I started getting ads on my feed from VRBO and places like that. I've never visited Myrtle Beach or searched for rentals or hotels there.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Happened to me when my husband and I were looking at houses. I mentioned to our realtor the only piece of furniture we didn’t have was a couch. Never searched for couches and never went to furniture websites but the next time I was on Facebook, the ads were all for couches. Same thing when I came here and some other discussion boards. They can say they do not listen all they want but I do not believe them.

 

[antmaril]

Yes, it has happened to me. My friend and I were on the phone talking about Lifelock. I had never researched it or Googled it. We were just discussing it. The next thing I know, an ad for Lifelock pops up on my Facebook feed. It gave me the creeps!

 

[amcnj]

Not on social media, but I have had some similar experiences after texting or emailing about something that you wouldn’t think would normally be showing up.

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

Yes, this has happened to me. One night late my husband and I were talking in our bedroom about something very random and very creepily there appeared a very specific ad (for a product that incorporated a phrase I’d said) on FB as I was scrolling a little later. I never had searched for anything related to it at all and the only explanation was that the microphone picked it up. I’ve had similar experiences related to things I’d said aloud several other times.

 

[Jennasis]

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah it happens from time to time on mine. It will be things I never searched for on any of my devices and it will be a suggested ad on FB soon after.

 

[slo]

OMG....this totally happened to me about 2 months ago.

My DD(17) told me she would like a good blender to make smoothies. The next day there was a Facebook ad for the newest NutriBullet blender. I’m not gonna lie - it kinda freaked me out.

 

[LuvOrlando]

We had an amazon echo for a bit and played music through it. One day we were listening to Pandora and I got annoyed at the dismal music and griped, "This music is so depressing I can't take it," next song was, "Don't Worry Be Happy." I got up, unplugged the little freakish thing and it was banished. I sort of suspect the Firestick is the same thing, I just don't know it yet.

 

[sam_gordon]

We had an amazon echo for a bit and played music through it. One day we were listening to Pandora and I got annoyed at the dismal music and griped, "This music is so depressing I can't take it," next song was, "Don't Worry Be Happy." I got up, unplugged the little freakish thing and it was banished. I sort of suspect the Firestick is the same thing, I just don't know it yet.

A cell phone has a microphone.
A echo has a microphone.
I don't believe the firesticks have microphones.

I think you can go into your cell phone settings and turn off microphone access to various apps. However, I wonder if it's FB listening in or Google.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

A cell phone has a microphone.
A echo has a microphone.
I don't believe the firesticks have microphones.

I think you can go into your cell phone settings and turn off microphone access to various apps. However, I wonder if it's FB listening in or Google.

My firestick has a voice remote. You have to press the button on the remote first, then talk, but it definitely has a microphone.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

A cell phone has a microphone.
A echo has a microphone.
I don't believe the firesticks have microphones.

I think you can go into your cell phone settings and turn off microphone access to various apps. However, I wonder if it's FB listening in or Google.

Also, I have worked as an ad quality rater for Google, I sorted through people's search results. Google tracks EVERYTHING you do, including everything you say to the Google assistant/Google home. I could not only hear what people were saying to the assistant, but there was usually a written transcript as well as what they asked previously, and a list of all connected devices and services.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I mute our Echo and echo dot all the time, she listens too well at times and when you think you don't say anything related to "Alexa" and she speaks up and says "Hmm I can't help you with that"..it's like listen here lady I didn't ask for your help

I do have alexa voice connection turned off on my phone app for it.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Yes happens to me all of the time but on my IG feed. I don’t have Facebook.