Is Facebook "Listening" ?

Yes there is..... though as I think about this now, I have had many conversations in my kitchen, about many things. Never really noticed a "geared towards me" kind of advertisement before as a result, and I doubt I would be specifically targeted for something more sinister than that kind of advertising/marketing, so it does seem more plausible that it is mere coincidence. Still, I will let you all know if it happens again!

What is going on is that there is a lot of information compiled about you and cross-referenced with information compiled about millions of others and you are more predictable than it is comfortable to believe.

You like Kraft dinners and they simply figured it out. They may have even connected that with the holidays somehow, who knows?

Sounds like my coincidence is not so coincidental. See my thread here

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Strange that our experiences are somewhat similar.

Could facebook be listening to us? I do have a microphone, so I just blurted out loud that I want to save a load of cash by switching my car insurance.. So I will now watch the ads and lookout for proof.

reply to post by anon4m05

It seems FB chooses which ads they display based off of your interests...it seems even posts you or a friend make on your page etc. are fair game. I had the same thing happen to me. I was talking about flat irons for hair or something one day and then an ad popped up on the side of my page for designer flat irons and other related products...

Recently I spotted an ad for “Free Baby Samples” on my Facebook home page…excuse me? I don’t have children and certainly don’t have anything on my profile about babies. But WAIT. A friend DID post something on my wall… There’s the culprit. So even though Facebook isn’t instantly deploying ads targeted to our latest status update, it does seem to be displaying ads according to what we share or our friends share on our Walls.

Facebook is somewhat elusive about what their ads actually pull from for ad targeting. From the Facebook Advertising Reach & Targeting info page: A profile is a dynamic environment where people express themselves by sharing:

what they’re doing at that moment in a status update
their birthday, occupation, all-time-favorite band, movies, TV shows and other interests in the Info tab.
their age, workplace, interests
relationship status

We capture that information and share it with you in aggregate so your ad can reach the right audience. For an advertiser, profile data is a unique opportunity to reach customers like never before.

What exactly is “that information” though – is it all of it? – including what friends share on our walls? In this case it seems so.

source

Originally posted by davjan4
disable your mic and camera when not using. A small band-aid over the lens as well...

Hey, I thought I was the only one who thought of putting, specifically, a band aid over iit It works fabulously.. anyone could remotely start your webcam without your knowledge, and I even heard somewhere that there is a way for hackers to start your webcam without triggering the light that comes on with it, so you would really be oblivious then.

Fe Fi Fo Fum I smell troll:

Kraft Dinner!!!

reply to post by unb3k44n7


I'm kind of paranoid about that too. I have a post it note strip over my laptop camera just in case. The funny thing is I'm not at all worried whether someone could listen to me, but I really, really don't want a picture taken when I'm not presentable.

If he didn't even have a computer in the room and didn't search online, I think it has to be a mystic sync. What I want to know is did he go out and get the macaroni and cheese?

Originally posted by Mysticalsea
reply to post by unb3k44n7

 

I'm kind of paranoid about that too. I have a post it note strip over my laptop camera just in case. The funny thing is I'm not at all worried whether someone could listen to me, but I really, really don't want a picture taken when I'm not presentable.

If he didn't even have a computer in the room and didn't search online, I think it has to be a mystic sync. What I want to know is did he go out and get the macaroni and cheese?

edit on 6-1-2013 by Mysticalsea because: typo

Haha... good question, and he might have an answer I saw an ad on FB once for TacoBell at like 1am... 5 minutes later I was in my car on my way to get some, and I was fully aware and acknowledged in every way that the ad worked on me. Those mind-controlling sneakersons...*shakes fist*

83

Coincidence? Yes. Likely? No, or is it the other way around?

Those cards your local grocer gives you that entitles you to store sales and the like, also track your purchases. That information is readily passed along and or sold to law enforcement and advertisers. Is it possible that the ads are starting to reflect this practice and you simply buy alot of 'Kraft Dinner'?
I'm not doubting you at all and have experienced similar 'cooincidences' like this myself, but there's definately other ways of gleaning information than actively listening. Twenty years ago I would have laughed this off, but digital technology is way ahead of the laws and apparently morality and privacy are superfulous when it comes to making sure you get your modest estimates of as much as thirty to sixty thousand ads or logos a week or keeping you safe from whatever threat-du-jour they cook up to justify illegal search and seizure these days.

reply to post by anon4m05


lol.funny there was another post like this one. I too feel like everything we do is tracked. And it is. For example the other day I was in the super market and I needed toilet paper. So usaly get a couple roles of cheap single roles but i saw Charmin brand was on sale 12 double roles for $5.00. So I got it .never before have I gotten that brand. So.about 2 day later Im on my web browser and go ATS web site and wouldn't u know bam! Two adds for charming double role toilet paper. I was like Wtf. But I got thinking about it and it was prob because I always swipe my supermarket discount/ aka track what I buy card. Just a though.

Yeah, target advertisement. When I look at something on Amazon, the last item I looked at would be in the ad box on certain sites.

Originally posted by theblasterkid
Yeah, target advertisement. When I look at something on Amazon, the last item I looked at would be in the ad box on certain sites.

On certain sites like this one! The Amazon ad I got was a product I was looking at a couple days ago.

reply to post by anon4m05


Hi, anon4m05 and all. For your info$:

Farcebook scans conversations, chats and posts. . .
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Farcebook leaks its own code. . .
www.pcmag.com...

Farcebook security lapse leaves private photos exposed. . .
www.readwriteweb.com...

Farcebook, a black hole for personal info. . .
yro.slashdot.org.../02/12/1354255&from=rss
yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/02/12/1354255&from=rss


And if it ever happens to you, this is what farcebook sends to police
when they come asking for your information:
superchief.tv...
superchief.tv/theycanseeeverythingyoudo/

Now you decide. . . B-)

Blue skies.

It seems facebook is onto our energy signal outputs and can detect manifestations of desire.

This is the future of advertising!

I wonder this same thing myself OP. It could be coincidence but we know that big advertising basically desires the minority report scenario of advertising.

I want to add that just unplugging a mic/webcam is not enough. Someone can correct me if I am wrong but I believe any speaker can be used as a microphone.

reply to post by anon4m05


Do you have bad anxiety?

They may well be they do everything else ?

But i have been getting weird advertisements lately just about stuff i have searched on phone or looked at on my phone or watched on tv i keep getting internet ads for these things on my laptop even though i have never looked at or searched these items before.

I think it's targeted advertisement, but it might not have been as obvious as outright mentioning Kraft online. (I know it was a verbal conversation you had. Just an example.)
Look back. Have you lately expressed, anywhere on the Internet, a liking for cheese or pasta? Think of anything that could be possibly connected to mac n' cheese and instant dinners and see if you can remember mentioning them. I'm not versed in targeted advertisement, but I imagine the process is very sensitive and subtle.