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Thread: Amazon Alexa "tin foil hat time"?

  1. #1
    Master jimp's Avatar
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    Amazon Alexa "tin foil hat time"?

    hi, ive had an echo show for a couple of months, its on in the kitchen during the day, last night we were talking about a friend who is going to Brighton to have a major operation, this morning one of alexas on screen suggestions was to ask what the weather was like in Brighton, so tin foil hat time?

  2. #2
    Master Christian's Avatar
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    Jury is out and google/amazon claim they don’t monitor audio for targeted adverts but I’m not convinced. The other week, had friends round who were talking to us about a house extension and problems with a new staircase…couple of days later I had a facebook ad appear for a staircase.

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    Master blackal's Avatar
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    Master jimp's Avatar
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    too much of a coincidence for me, google i belive suggests local resorts so to us would be places like whitby, scarborough, redcar, why the hell Brighton!

  5. #5
    Grand Master Chris_in_the_UK's Avatar
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    Will not have any of these 'smart' devices in the house.
    When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........

  6. #6
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    Not sure about Alexa but several times after chatting to a friend ,subjects and products we’ve been talking about appear on their iPhone via FB ads - coincide?

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Christian View Post
    Jury is out and google/amazon claim they don’t monitor audio for targeted adverts but I’m not convinced. The other week, had friends round who were talking to us about a house extension and problems with a new staircase…couple of days later I had a facebook ad appear for a staircase.
    I think evidence speaks for itself. I regularly get targeted ads within days few of specific conversations I have had on a subject.

    Seems to happen across FB/Google and others, so now assume they all listen and collate info


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

  8. #8
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    I often catch her indoors shouting "Cartier, Gucci, Louboutin, diamonds!" at Alexa

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    What about your Apple Watch

  10. #10
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    The smart devices are only the tip of it, your phone listens too


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    Master jimp's Avatar
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    For sale

  12. #12
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    Some of the more recent Echo devices have a mic switch, for those who are uncomfortable that Amazon are monitoring their everyday conversations. I sort of doubt they are, but I think I'll try an experiment. Over the course of the next few days, I'll repeatedly mention within listening range of my desktop Dot something that I wouldn't normally mention or type into Google or Amazon, and see if Amazon try to sell me one.

  13. #13
    Grand Master mart broad's Avatar
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    They all data mine Alexa , phone et all but sorry got to go my Russian Twins have just turned up.

    Thanks Alexa
    I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE

  14. #14
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK View Post
    Will not have any of these 'smart' devices in the house.
    ^^^^ This.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

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    Master reggie747's Avatar
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    It's been proven by some Youtube guy. He had a put on spurious conversation with a mate about dog toys and within 24hrs was getting ads on his equipment offering dog toys. I wouldn't have one myself.

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    Grand Master hogthrob's Avatar
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    Part of the latest Echo setup, is to train it to recognize your voice...

    This microphone switch - is it a hard wired physical switch, or software controlled?

    Do the 'not in my house' people also extend this policy to smart TVs?

  17. #17
    Grand Master Chris_in_the_UK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hogthrob View Post
    Do the 'not in my house' people also extend this policy to smart TVs?
    I have an iPhone and an LG OLED TV, neither have (that I have noticed) resulted in targeted ads from conversations I have had in the house. FB drives me nuts with it's random ads (which I purge every week or so) and I would sack it off except I have a few friends who seem to love it and it's how we keep in touch.
    When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........

  18. #18
    Master Christian's Avatar
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    What is amazing is that google and amazon deny it is happening and claim all these things are coincidence!

    I know whatsapp openly admits to scanning messages to then automatically generate adverts from what you’ve text.

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    Master Kirk280's Avatar
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    Alexa: “here is your daily selection of tactical man bags”

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    Amazon Alexa "tin foil hat time"?

    Spoke to the wife about some bubble wrap, and a garden hose and both appeared on FB ads (this was for legit and legal purposes honestly).

    I have a number of Dots around the house and we all have smart phones and really don’t care if they do use our conversations for marketing purposes as with cookies, trackers etc when surfing the WWW.

    Unless you want to live in the 1980’s, silent monitoring is part of our lives now.

    B
    Last edited by bomberman; 8th June 2021 at 21:25.

  21. #21
    TBF, if after all those years of privacy breach reports and surveillance scandals you use that kind of big tech products (and services), you deserve to have crap spied out of you, and then some. At this point, only the folks who are too tech-illiterate to make informed choices can be excused.

  22. #22
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Definitely happens. I mentioned Goodfellas to a friend on WhatsApp two days ago to describe a situation, not talk about movies, then an article about Goodfellas popped up on my Google news feed an hour later.

  23. #23
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    I rest my case...................................
    Oops! I'm getting ads for case rests!

  24. #24
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by tixntox View Post
    I rest my case...................................
    Oops! I'm getting ads for case rests!
    This tickled me more than it should have. Its all a bit worrying, the only thing that gives me comfort is that currently their motive is just to milk me dry financially

  25. #25
    Master reggie747's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    Definitely happens. I mentioned Goodfellas to a friend on WhatsApp two days ago to describe a situation, not talk about movies, then an article about Goodfellas popped up on my Google news feed an hour later.
    Was the article about the film or the pizza ??

  26. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian View Post
    What is amazing is that google and amazon deny it is happening and claim all these things are coincidence!

    I know whatsapp openly admits to scanning messages to then automatically generate adverts from what you’ve text.
    Do WA admit that? I didn’t know. All I hear is end to end encrypted! Do you have a link for further info?

  27. #27
    Grand Master magirus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK View Post
    Will not have any of these 'smart' devices in the house.
    Quote Originally Posted by number2 View Post
    ^^^^ This.
    This + 1.

    Quote Originally Posted by hogthrob View Post
    Part of the latest Echo setup, is to train it to recognize your voice...

    This microphone switch - is it a hard wired physical switch, or software controlled?

    Do the 'not in my house' people also extend this policy to smart TVs?
    What are these TVs of which you speak?
    F.T.F.A.

  28. #28
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by reggie747 View Post
    Was the article about the film or the pizza ??
    Ha film, something artsy from some dedicated movie website. Not something I'd ever be on.

  29. #29
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boss13 View Post
    Do WA admit that? I didn’t know. All I hear is end to end encrypted! Do you have a link for further info?
    I believe WhatsApp is encrypted but I also believe it's wide open and not really end to end encrypted. Dominic Cummings was outed for leaking something in WhatsApp and they knew which room in #10 he was in when he sent the message aka which access point he was connected to on WiFi.

    It's not a coincidence that both WhatsApp founders quit Facebook due to privacy issues and one of them put $50m of his own money into Signal. Not something you'd do if it was end to end encrypted.

    This is very tin foil hat I'll admit but I'm sure Edward Snowdon said part of the reason big tech get away with not paying tax (or anywhere near the correct amount) is because they give wide open backdoors to the gov via programs like PRISM. He also said this is why phones don't have removable batteries anymore. Cameras, mics, GPS can all be turned on even if the phone is "off".

  30. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by notenoughwrists View Post
    I think evidence speaks for itself. I regularly get targeted ads within days few of specific conversations I have had on a subject.

    Seems to happen across FB/Google and others, so now assume they all listen and collate info


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    Sorry this part just made me laugh

  31. #31
    Master Tony-GB's Avatar
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    I'm surprised nobodies asked it for a Daytona at RRP.

  32. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by bomberman View Post
    Spoke to the wife about some bubble wrap, and a garden hose and both appeared on FB ads (this was for legit and legal purposes honestly).

    I have a number of Dots around the house and we all have smart phones and really don’t care if they do use our conversations for marketing purposes as with cookies, trackers etc when surfing the WWW.

    Unless you want to live in the 1980’s, silent monitoring is part of our lives now.

    B
    I'd rather live in the 60's :0)

  33. #33
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bomberman View Post
    I have a number of Dots around the house and we all have smart phones and really don’t care if they do use our conversations for marketing purposes as with cookies, trackers etc when surfing the WWW.

    Unless you want to live in the 1980’s, silent monitoring is part of our lives now.
    Each to their own, but I don't feel the need to jump on every tech bandwagon.

    I don't, for example, 'do' Twitter or Instagram - I tried the former and hated it and I've never understood the concept of the latter, so I don't need it. I do have a Facebook account, it's useful for a number of purposes, but that's why I use it, not because it's 'essential'.

    I don't see any need at all for one or more of these devices - I can get out my phone and type in a search if I want to.

    If I want to buy something I'll actively search for it - I can't say I like the idea of something 'listening' to my every conversation and then using that for whatever purpose the provider desires.

    There's a bit of fuss at the moment about the NHS selling medical information for research, but if Amazon and Google ARE listening in on your conversations, there seems to be nothing at all to stop them selling information about your health to insurance companies and the like, without any oversight.

    Now, I guess it's possible my phone is 'listening' as well, but I've yet to find a 'need' for a gadget I can shout at (I have the wife for that!)

    Of course, I get a lot of "You may be interested in" ads for used size 12 hiking boots and secondhand clothing after browsing SC!

    M

    PS In answer to another question, I don't have a smart TV either, although I do have a Virgin TV box connected to a dumb TV.
    Last edited by snowman; 10th June 2021 at 10:05.
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  34. #34
    Grand Master Passenger's Avatar
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    Choose life.

  35. #35
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    I was with a friend Sunday, discussing the bugasalt gun, which shoots table salt to either kill a fly, or season your bbq meat from a distance.

    My social feed is full of adverts & not researched the, on any device. Happy to be heard, but it’s going to make me spend £65 on a toy I don’t need!


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  36. #36
    Master Christian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mj2k View Post
    I was with a friend Sunday, discussing the bugasalt gun, which shoots table salt to either kill a fly, or season your bbq meat from a distance.

    My social feed is full of adverts & not researched the, on any device. Happy to be heard, but it’s going to make me spend £65 on a toy I don’t need!


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

    I've not discussed this with anyone and yet my facebook feed is full of adverts for the same gun...I think they've just paid for a lot of facebook marketing. Are you sure you didn't end up discussing it because of the advert rather than the advert appearing because you discussed it?

  37. #37
    Master Halitosis's Avatar
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    Tested my iPhone once by randomly mentioning the word “Namibia” a few times - not even as part of a coherent sentence, and while the phone was locked with no apps open, and I’ve never even set up Siri. Within hours I was seeing Facebook ads for holidays to Namibia.


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  38. #38
    Master PreacherCain's Avatar
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    I am another of the "won't have one in the house" brigade - the damn things freak me out. The tracking and data mining is bad enough without the swine hearing my every half-formed muttering and drawing inferences from that as well. I don't have Facebook, Insta or Twitter and would infinitely prefer to avoid WhatsApp too (and would do, save that loads of friends are using it). I don't have a Google account, I don't enable location services on my phone, I don't geotag photos. And yet, I'm sure there are yottabytes of data out there which paint a pretty good picture of my thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams.

    I do suspect that folks will look back on this era as a sort of data-privacy Wild West...

  39. #39
    Grand Master Neil.C's Avatar
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    I wouldn't willingly have any of that creepy crap in my house although when I first got a Fire tablet a voice came out of it.

    I thought it was haunted!

    Soon switched it off.
    Cheers,
    Neil.

    My Speedmaster website:

    http://www.freewebs.com/neil271052

  40. #40
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    I've been telling my Echo Dot, without invoking the "wake" word (ie when it's not supposed to be listening), about my need for a particular consumer item every now and then for two days now. So far I haven't seen any relevant ads pop up anywhere, but I'll keep going.

  41. #41
    Grand Master TaketheCannoli's Avatar
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    Happened here last night. I mentioned Queen Latiffa to my daughter and four hours later her music appeared as an ad on IG.

  42. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK View Post
    Will not have any of these 'smart' devices in the house.
    +1

  43. #43
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TaketheCannoli View Post
    Happened here last night. I mentioned Queen Latiffa to my daughter and four hours later her music appeared as an ad on IG.
    Could have been off your home IP address and someone else listened or googled her.

    I got an advert yesterday for a tangle teaser so asked my wife and she has one in her basket online somewhere.

  44. #44
    Master Halitosis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PreacherCain View Post
    I am another of the "won't have one in the house" brigade...
    But almost everyone has a mobile phone, and they listen too (I was in a pub garden with friends when we did the Namibia experiment)


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

  45. #45
    I've been watching this guy for a while. He knows his stuff and works in the arena. Some may think he's over paranoid but it's eye opening his previous uploads. This one just came up today
    https://youtu.be/ccrUAp4GQvY

  46. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian View Post
    I've not discussed this with anyone and yet my facebook feed is full of adverts for the same gun...I think they've just paid for a lot of facebook marketing. Are you sure you didn't end up discussing it because of the advert rather than the advert appearing because you discussed it?
    Certainly not me seeing them as never heard of it before. I am not sure if he did either as believe he saw it on a forum mentioned, but was complaining no U.K. sellers.

    Mine was a U.K. seller but at a markup. Could be simply the fact they bought a load of ad space. Think I prefer that as a stream of event to be honest.

    All i see now though is that damn gun!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  47. #47
    It strikes me that there are two major differences between our world and the one that Orwell wrote about in 1984.

    Firstly, it's not the governments that are listening to your conversations, it's the corporations. Arguably the corporations have more influence.

    Secondly, in 1984, party members are forced to accept telescreens, proles aren't monitored & no-one bellyfeels the telescreens.

    Oh Alexa, how double-plus-ungood.

  48. #48
    There was a Netflix documentary called the Social Dilemma which dealt with broad aspect of this technology. Worth watching if you're curious about how this technology is used.

    https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81254224
    Last edited by zippy; 11th June 2021 at 10:37.

  49. #49
    Just mention Lingerie every now and again and at least the adverts are easy on the eye.

  50. #50
    Grand Master GraniteQuarry's Avatar
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    I keep getting adverts for penis reduction surgery.

    How odd.

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