Sure its just a coincidence, but I watched a how to DIY boating show this morning and every freaking add on websites is now showing the tool that the how to show was using. I can assure you I did not visit the tool maker site or the DIY show site. Or is that tool maker aggressively advertising and now it follows you. Are your tv habits tracked and in turn tied to internet all from same provider?

When was the last time you had gone to the doctors and they poked you with a needle? Or even maybe it was the dentist, surely you can't keep an eye on every object they insert into your mouth.

Perhaps any one of them inserted a monitoring device and it's tied into your computer and TV.

Just saying.

KOT

Dont know what it is, but I dont like it.

It was spelled out clearly in the document you checked the "agree" on when you signed up for your internet and TV service. They pwn you!

Big brother is watching, listening AND reading your mind...


Ya gotta remember to wear your tin foil hat. ;-)

Audiophiliac, is right -- read the document. You granted the TV manufacturer the right to "improve the user experience." At some point the TV hardware might be free.

Recently, I heard an interview of a psychologist who claimed to be able to assemble a chillingly detailed and accurate profile of a web surfer and TV viewer after a relatively (unspecified) short period of observation. She was both proud (from an academic point of view) and guarded (should we assemble this sort of dossier on everyone?) about this capability and did not specify who she worked for.

No tinfoil hat required, every aspect of your online life is logged somewhere.

Connected to your email addresses, phone numbers, and credit card numbers.

Many stores can tell you enter physically - they put 30 tracking cookies on your phone when you visited online, and recognize your phone's MAC address.

Google Maps knows where I am physically all the time. Every time I use a credit card at a store they can physically connect the purchase with me.

Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean someone isn't out to get me.

Couple of days ago, MN Senator Franken called out Oculus to determine what data they collect, and how. There is no 'off' button on the OculusVR - always listening, and owned by Facebook. What data is collected? Everything that is stated? How long is that data kept? Where is that data sent, and stored?

[Link: polygon.com]

Edit - Discussion on slashdot: [Link: yro.slashdot.org]

I am pretty annoyed by invasion of privacy, but not enough to stop using my cell phone. We'll see in the next 5-10 years where laws are formed to determine the definition of 'privacy'.

Ordering a roll of mu metal. Foil is not going to cut it

Heck, ya'll maybe installing these very monitoring devices with out knowing it.

KOT

I got one better...

A few months ago a friend called me about some work-related stuff. I hadn't heard from him for about 6 months, and we talked on the phone for maybe 10 or 15 minutes.

Again, we haven't talked to or emailed each other in at least 6 months, and THAT NIGHT I'm checking Facebook and down at the bottom where they recommend possible friends his name is first in the list. FB had never recommended him before that day.

Called your cell where you store your contacts through google contacts?

Facebook app has access to pretty much everything on your phone, including phone calls and caller ID. Not that far fetched to see how they put 2 and 2 together really.

Facebook is down right scary. I don't know how they make the connections they do. I have a Facebook account that I created with an old email address that very few people have. Definitely none of my clients have it. I post nothing on Facebook and only go on there occasionally to read other people's posts. It usually happens after a few drinks and I'm bored. I sure have never downloaded the Facebook app on any device. But the friend recommendations scare the crap out of me. I've had clients pop up as recommended. One is a client I've only met a couple times and have never contacted directly. Any info from myself to him has passed through our office or my boss. The only thing I can think of there, is somehow I logged on to Facebook at his house and they matched us through his IP address. But I don't ever visit Facebook during work hours.

Fins,

Does your company use gmail? I assume that gmail connects everyone that passes through and cc's, bass', forwards, etc. are fair game for harvesting -- all captured in the spirit of improving the user experience (and revenue).

Yesterday I had searched on my computer for upright freezers for my mom. Went to several sites including Lowes, HD, BB and Sears. Only did this search on my computer (iMac),

Last night I was browsing FB on my phone, (I rarely ever look at FB on my computer) and there was one of the "sponsored" posts from Lowe's where it shows that several of my friends like them. All fine and good. But there were pics of freezers like the ones I had looked at.

So somehow, Lowe's was able to see what I shopped for on my computer and then show me an "ad" on my phone in the FB app.