There's no such thing as privacy anymore

[DKean]

I've been thinking of getting a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee overland to replace our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. So I did a build and price. Also we replaced our kitchen faucet and also checked prices.

Our email in box was filled with more Jeep dealers then I knew were around here. We got email's from Lows and home depot on the faucet.
One dodge dealer got our unlisted phone number and called us.:M You can be sure we won't be buying a Jeep from that dealer.When and if we do buy I will call that dealer and let him know why we didn't buy from them.

[Fizz]

2oldman wrote:

Tvov wrote:
My brother-in-law does things like remove his address from letters and envelopes when he throws them out, in order to "maintain his privacy".

That's a hoot.

Years ago before the internet my brother inlaw got a call from his bank manager friend asking him when he had moved.
He hadn't moved so why the request for change of address.
He figured it got picked out of his recycling box.
First thing he did was buy a paper shredder.

[2oldman]

Tvov wrote:
My brother-in-law does things like remove his address from letters and envelopes when he throws them out, in order to "maintain his privacy".

That's a hoot.

[8_1_Van]

RayJayco wrote:
When the RNC was here 4 years ago, I heard on the news of the new facial recognition software and the cameras were installed all around the city and would remain. These same systems are being installed in major cities throughout the USA.
The only problem was not having a data base to correlate the images to names...

Now, Mark Zuckerberg is worth about $46 Billion, not million... I still have a video of him when he first started Facebook, admitting that all of the Facebook apps have spyware as he had to make money somehow... How much have you paid to use Facebook? It's free,...right??

So, an instant volunteered database of names, pictures, addresses, friends, hangouts, habits, etc., and government facial recognition software that needs a database, and now the founder is worth $46 Billion... I could see $46 Million being made off of advertising, however... Perhaps Facebook has cost the taxpayers more than they think for a free app...

He lost over $240 million on Friday but he is still worth over $60 Billion.

[Tvov]

I think it is just more "instant" now. There have always been businesses and people whose sole job is to find out about you, where you live, your habits, etc for advertising purposes. Just that in the "old days" everything was on paper and it took a little longer for the info to get spread around.

Make sure you carefully look over your monthly statements - or even more often if you want. I've had to have a credit card replaced twice in the last two years due to info being stolen. I haven't lost anything, as this has become "routine" for credit cards and they don't charge you for anything you say was not yours. Kinda depressing that it is routine now!

Just be aware of what is going on. I stay on top of my accounts, but I don't want to live like a hermit (heck, then I'd be getting advertising about hermit clothing and portable stoves... lol).

My brother-in-law does things like remove his address from letters and envelopes when he throws them out, in order to "maintain his privacy". I have never bothered to point out to him that if he is getting mail in the first place, "they" know his address. Oh well.

[2012Coleman]

So I've read all 4 pages and really don't have a similar experience. I have one gmail address and use it for everything including Amazon. If I get spammed on it, I mark it as spam, and never hear from them again. I look at the spam folder occasionally and see lots of stuff. Heck, Google even marked Trump emails as spam during the campaign for me!

The advice to use private browsing is good. Another piece of advice is to log out of Google when your done using it - uncheck the box that says keep me signed in.

Don't automatically use an unsubscribe link. In some cases, doing so just confirms that your address is valid. Only use it for stuff that you have subscribed to and no longer want. For instance, I wanted to get the Model Railroad newsletter and bought some back issues. Well, they filled my inbox with requests to by products and services. I used the unsubscribe link and no longer receive this stuff. If you never signed up, mark it as spam. Seriously, Google does a good job of filtering stuff you mark as spam.

Once, an admin at campground reviews was trolling me because of a disagreement we were having over what I put in a review. I personally don't like how they try to make user reviews follow a particular pattern. Anyway, the guy wouldn't leave me alone! I emailed another admin and said I'd mark further emails from the offender as spam, and they begged me not to. I didn't but if you get on a google blacklist, it is hard to get off of it.

Seems that anyone can get a phone number these days. If you give a car dealership your phone number, expect a call.

If your phone is tracking your movements, turn off the option in settings - sorry, can't think of it - Google it!

[RayJayco]

When the RNC was here 4 years ago, I heard on the news of the new facial recognition software and the cameras were installed all around the city and would remain. These same systems are being installed in major cities throughout the USA.
The only problem was not having a data base to correlate the images to names...

Now, Mark Zuckerberg is worth about $46 Billion, not million... I still have a video of him when he first started Facebook, admitting that all of the Facebook apps have spyware as he had to make money somehow... How much have you paid to use Facebook? It's free,...right??

So, an instant volunteered database of names, pictures, addresses, friends, hangouts, habits, etc., and government facial recognition software that needs a database, and now the founder is worth $46 Billion... I could see $46 Million being made off of advertising, however... Perhaps Facebook has cost the taxpayers more than they think for a free app...

[8_1_Van]

I like all the free info that is available on the internet like my old Army buddies from the 60's etc.

100% free Family Tree

I like Facebook to keep up with the kids etc. Google maps on my phone is better than any GPS device I have used in the past since it also gives me traffic info and GasBuddy shows lowest price gas and on and on.

[aguablanco]

Walaby wrote:
I agree... privacy has been gone for quite a while.

Having said that, one positive is you know of more Jeep dealerships in your area than you knew existed.

Interesting that one got your unlisted number. Tells me unlisted isn't really unlisted.

Mike

My guess is that they didn't get your unlisted number. You gave it to a dealer when you purchased the last Jeep.
RichH

[OH48Lt]

The unwanted emails, phone calls, ads, and other contacts is because you don't opt out of tracking. I have a smart phone, and I don't see all that stuff. I opted out on all that intrusive Google tracking. On your internet browser, select whatever option you need to opt out of tracking. LOOK at the webpages you're going to and make sure you do whatever is necessary to opt out of whatever method you, usually by default, permit them to contact you. It isn't that hard. Most people don't read the webpages fully, and skip right over that little checkbox allowing them to gather your personal info.

Facebook is another story. I can't believe the personal info that people put on there. They gather all that and sell it. Why do you think the owner of Facebook is one of the 8 richest people in the world?

[magicbus]

fj12ryder wrote:

EV2 wrote:
What
Is really scarey would be all of the misinformation in this thread. Just, wow!

Or the fact that you think that. Most of the stuff I read is real as can be. What is scary to me is that people voluntarily invite products into their homes that listen to their conversations 24 hours a day, and think it's no big deal. And pay for the privilege!!

Well... This one has some "splainin" to do... they must be using that face recognition software I read about :E

Go to Home Depot and stop by the walk-in bathtub display they have. It's like ones they advertise on TV all the time for older folks.
Stop by the display, open the door and lean inside.
Within 2 days you email getting spammed with ads for those tubs.

and this one too...

Most of it is Google Lead Services.. hen you search on anything Even if you use a competing search engine (I DO) Google gets notified, and fires off a message to all the folks who may wish to sell you that.

Google Lead Services gets notified when I use DuckDuckGo? And if every internet search triggered a message to a vendor they would be inundated with messages from GLS. Sure ads get displayed per your search, but I'm pretty certain GLS does not send the vendor a message until you click on the ad and Google can charge them.

So I would venture to say there are a couple of bits of misinformation in this post. :W

PS... I do agree about inviting listening devices into your home, but then I won't even have a NEST in mine.
Dave

[blangen]

Rather than trying to shut down information leaks (which is futile, these days), I subscribe to the method of hiding in plain sight. I go about my normal business but also include excursions that are intended to mislead. Some examples of this are providing just enough info to know it's me but the rest of the info is pulled out of thin air. The end result is that, if you Google me, there are a few tidbits of reality but those are surrounded with enormous amounts of erroneous info that make it rather difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. If you're a playful sort, like me, the game is a source of amusement.

[SAR_Tracker]

mr. ed wrote:
....I do have several email accounts, two of which I use solely with my regular contacts. Others, I consider throw-aways when they get attacked by too many unwanted emails.

Yep.

[gotsmart]

I use a secondary gmail address for all non-amazon online purchases. There is nothing special about it except for a filter that I added:

Matches: from: (*)
Do this: Delete it, Never mark it as important

All emails, and I do mean all emails, go directly to the Trash. It is an unmanaged email account. Everything that is in the Trash folder automatically gets deleted after 30 days. There are no emails in the Inbox. The email address in a dumping ground for all the spam and junk emails that I may receive as the result of needing to provide an email address.

I place an online order. I then log onto this email account and check the trash folder for the order confirmation. I'll subsequently check the trash folder for the shipping confirmation (I may forward the shipping confirmation to my regular email address).

Then I log off - knowing full well that the online retailer will likely spam the email address for the next 60 days. I don't care. It's off of my radar. There's no reason to log on because the Inbox is already empty.

[p220sigman]

That is why I have an email that is only used for websites and anything I'm checking prices/building. I never use actual information (at least not my actual information) for any of these. It is all made up. My throw away email gets a ton of spam. I go in about once a month and empty the mail box. I never get any spam at my real email. I don't have a home phone and my cell has a spam call blocker that rejects virtually all spam calls.

[fj12ryder]

EV2 wrote:
What
Is really scarey would be all of the misinformation in this thread. Just, wow!

Or the fact that you think that. Most of the stuff I read is real as can be. What is scary to me is that people voluntarily invite products into their homes that listen to their conversations 24 hours a day, and think it's no big deal. And pay for the privilege!!