Coincidence or something more suspicious [hmm]

It's not only products. I night go on one of the hotel booking sites to look for hotels and for weeks after hotels in that area pop up as ads. Then after I have already been to say Peterborough or Salamanca I get emails saying hotels prices in wherever are cheaper now.

Because so much information about you and many, many others is out there on the internet together with those sites you have signed up to you are a target. Marketing cookies will attempt to make you change your mind and buy. This is all part of the internet being used by businesses. Those of us who have not given out a lot of personal details are not as bothered. The secret is to guard your privacy very closely.

Happy birthday illtellhim. You never know, having mentioned it online you may now be bombarded with bottles of champagne and birthday cakes

I'm 67, (today actually), and I love all the targeted advertising, I also love internet shopping, those wonderful dating sites (fun,fun,fun) , those radio stations with all that funky music on and the pirated stuff from the cinemas. the more that's known about me, well to be honest I don't really care, I can't do any think about it, however, those call callers are a nuisance. I don't think anyone is really interested, but, be warned, If you're alive someone is watching you.

I recently booked a hire car for our up-coming holiday on the Gold Coast in Australia, and now I keep getting e-mails from them offering special deals in UK, America and New Zealand!! If only.

angie95, your e mail address is not given away, it is sold, along with all the other information you have ever given to any company. You then get targeted by Big Brother shouting BUY BUY BUY. The internet only exists to make money.

What bugs me is the last online thing on Facebook even if you turn off chat people know when you were online.

Maybe I don't get too much intrusion because my phone is ancient and it's switched off most of the time. Every time I think about updating I'll try and remember this conversation.

We are definitely being tracked through our phones and computers. I had a nephew staying with me not so long ago and he spoke to my husband about his gambling addiction and how he would like help to stop. So husband looked for websites that could lead him to getting the help he wanted. Afterwards my husband was bombarded by gambling websites trying to encourage him to subscribe to them.

I have noticed that the items that my OH has been browsing or has ordered online turn up being advertised down the side of MY Facebook newsfeed. I don't know how 'they' made the link between us, but I tease my OH that he will never be able to order me a surprise present! I'm still waiting for an advert for diamonds to appear..

It sounds terrifying - and will presumably get worse. I have noticed ads on Fb /google for things I've mentioned online eg texting or emails) and booking .com keeps sending me ads for hotels in lots of places I've just been to. I feel like never using a smartphone or computer again, but of course I couldn't manage that!

Companies track what you do online all the time courtesy of Mr Google. I do use google for searches for crossword puzzles and the like but won't use them to buy things or use other products they sell. If you carry a smart phone it can track what shops you frequent and even what aisle you walk down and how long you spend browsing. The smart metre in your home ( not mine!) knows what time you have a shower, put the kettle on and go to bed.

Other than using my laptop, I use as little technology as possible and rarely visit social media and only have a basic mobile phone. I have taped up the webcam on my laptop ( even Mark G founder of facebook say he does that). I haven't found where the microphone is yet!

So, yes, you are being tracked.

I had a conversation with a friend, whilst my computer was switched off but my phone was on. The next day the same subject came up on Facebook ads on my computer. I was completely freaked out. I have definitely never discussed that topic before or since ( a d o p t i o n).

Amazon I find are a tad behind. I was looking on line for a cheap dinner set, found one, bought it on line and picked it up locally. Since then I have been inundated with dinner sets I may like to buy. One is enough, thanks.

I don't do Skype, Facebook or Twitter.
I get enough intrusion on my pc, mobile and tablet.
What ever I buy or search for on line appears to give the rest of the world the go ahead to enter my domain

You can turn off location sharing.

The Brexit vote as won by using Algorithm.
Check out Cambridge Analytica.
Brave new world!

It's called Algorithm.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithm

It is all a bit of an intrusion on our privacy but at least we know 'they' are doing it. I have bought two items lately and found ads for the same things on the sites I am browsing continually. As if I would buy an identical sofa twice!

Whoops. I meant Bluetooth and GPS.

I hate that when you look at an online shop and browse it keeps a record of what you've looked at and up it pops nextrime you visit the same site. Sometimes it can be a bit embarrassing if your screen pops up with big knickers or something you don't want others to know you've been looking at . I have to keep finding out how to delete items but it's a bit annoying.

When I am out and about I have Wifi, Data traffic, Bluetooth and Bluetooth switched off on my mobile phone. Can they still find me?

If you had a smartphone with you, it knows where you are. Most supermarkets now send you an advert. I had one yesterday when I was at the bus stop having already finished my shopping from Morrisons.
It is a bit much that they have noticed where in the store you have been going but the only way to stop it is not to take your phone with you.

Pictures of Steve Jobs showed his computer had tape over the 'thingy'. There must be something in it.

You can put a plaster over it so you can't be watched.