Google is Stalking Me!

Ruthanne

Ruthanne

Caregiver
Location
Midwest
I did a search for a type of service in my city and as I was looking on a map of my area that google provided I saw the grocery store I go to. I clicked on it and google told me I had been there 3 weeks ago!? It showed exactly where I came from (my address) and the route I took to get there...:oops:So I did a search on Google to ask how they knew where I had been and when and they told me by my cell phone GPS...

Now I'm trying to decide if I want to keep my location set on my cell phone or not. In a way it may be a good idea in case I get kidnapped but how often does that happen?:oops:;)
 

This is very concerning. Why would Google need to know this? If you have a regular routine, this sort of information could be useful to burglars.
 
Rosemarie said:
This is very concerning. Why would Google need to know this? If you have a regular routine, this sort of information could be useful to burglars.
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I think they told me the information is only available to me but I have to check again and see if I'm right about that. I don't really have to worry about burglars as I live in a security building. My apt. number did not come up in it but still you make a good point. I really have to check that again. And you're right, why would google need to know this. I do not really have a regular routine.
 

Ruthanne said:
I did a search for a type of service in my city and as I was looking on a map of my area that google provided I saw the grocery store I go to. I clicked on it and google told me I had been there 3 weeks ago!? It showed exactly where I came from (my address) and the route I took to get there...:oops:So I did a search on Google to ask how they knew where I had been and when and they told me by my cell phone GPS...

Now I'm trying to decide if I want to keep my location set on my cell phone or not. In a way it may be a good idea in case I get kidnapped but how often does that happen?:oops:;)
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This is why I am a HUGE proponent of Google being split-up!

They've gotten too big for their britches!
 
I leave my 'Android' smartphone home as much as possible, I reset it to factory settings, I have all my frequently called numbers on a pad next to the phone. I remove the battery (also resets the sim card) whenever it is powered off, which is often. I've been trained that the GPS still is active unless the battery is removed and I never use it for data searches. Just my feeble attempt to keep Google out of my private life.
 
ManjaroKDE said:
I leave my 'Android' smartphone home as much as possible, I reset it to factory settings, I have all my frequently called numbers on a pad next to the phone. I remove the battery (also resets the sim card) whenever it is powered off, which is often. I've been trained that the GPS still is active unless the battery is removed and I never use it for data searches. Just my feeble attempt to keep Google out of my private life.
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I always take my android with me in case my car breaks down, though, or if I need it while out and about. I may turn the location off.
 
On your smart/cell if you slide your finger from the top down, "location" pops up. Touch it and it shuts off, and inversely. If I'm lost and input an address I can follow myself on the map in real time. It drives you to your destination. Rotary phones can't do that.

When its on (it knows) where you are. Battery life suffers if its always on. I turn it on when I need assistance from the satellite God.
 
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jimbowho said:
On your smart/cell if you slide your finger from the top down, "location" pops up. Touch it and it shuts off, and inversely. If I'm lost and input an address, I can follow myself on the map in real time. It drives you to your destination. Rotary phone can't do that.

When its on (it knows) where you are. Battery life suffers if its always on. I turn it on when I need assistance from the satellite God.
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Thanks for the tip but I went into my settings and turned the location off.
 
It's all about money. Profit. Advertising. For instance, I've noticed that if I search for an item on Amazon, the next time I go online an ad for the item I was searching appears in a sidebar when I open my email. This happens with other sellers, too. They pay Google to advertise to us. I was looking at tea sets on eBay, immediately got a flood of tea set ads.

Do you all remember George Orwell's book, 1984? Big Brother? Well, Google is fast becoming Big Brother...
 
Autumn said:
It's all about money. Profit. Advertising. For instance, I've noticed that if I search for an item on Amazon, the next time I go online an ad for the item I was searching appears in a sidebar when I open my email. This happens with other sellers, too. They pay Google to advertise to us. I was looking at tea sets on eBay, immediately got a flood of tea set ads.

Do you all remember George Orwell's book, 1984? Big Brother? Well, Google is fast becoming Big Brother...
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My op was about google knowing where I go in my car, though, did you know Google may know that about people's where abouts, too?

I have noticed what you said too for a long time but them knowing where I go in my car came as a big surprise to me:oops::D:whistle:;)
 
@Ruthanne My understanding is that they want to track our location in order to pinpoint advertising. For instance, I live in Boston but used to make very frequent trips to the White Mountain region of NH. So the advertising I got centered not only on Boston, but also on businesses up in NH. This includes not only those online ads, but emails as well. I get emails from random businesses, both in Boston and NH.

Google doesn't release our info only to us. They pinpoint our locations and sell our names and addresses to businesses in that area. And selling these mailing lists isn't really a new thing, Years ago, CVS got major fines for doing that with RX drug customers. Example - I filled an RX for my cat, Matthew, and the pharmacist used my last name. So, something like Matthew Doe. And Matthew soon got an offer for a preapproved credit card.

I agree that it's very disturbing.
 
Autumn said:
@Ruthanne My understanding is that they want to track our location in order to pinpoint advertising. For instance, I live in Boston but used to make very frequent trips to the White Mountain region of NH. So the advertising I got centered not only on Boston, but also on businesses up in NH. This includes not only those online ads, but emails as well. I get emails from random businesses, both in Boston and NH.

Google doesn't release our info only to us. They pinpoint our locations and sell our names and addresses to businesses in that area. And selling these mailing lists isn't really a new thing, Years ago, CVS got major fines for doing that with RX drug customers. Example - I filled an RX for my cat, Matthew, and the pharmacist used my last name. So, something like Matthew Doe. And Matthew soon got an offer for a preapproved credit card.

I agree that it's very disturbing.
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Okay, I understand what you mean. And that's probably why I get some of the specific places advertised to me in my area, too. That's funny that your cat got an offer for a preapproved credit card...:D
 
Ruthanne said:
Now I'm trying to decide if I want to keep my location set on my cell phone or not. In a way it may be a good idea in case I get kidnapped but how often does that happen?:oops:;)
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I would think that once is more than enough!


Autumn said:
@Ruthanne
Google doesn't release our info only to us. They pinpoint our locations and sell our names and addresses to businesses in that area. And selling these mailing lists isn't really a new thing, Years ago, CVS got major fines for doing that with RX drug customers. Example - I filled an RX for my cat, Matthew, and the pharmacist used my last name. So, something like Matthew Doe. And Matthew soon got an offer for a preapproved credit card.
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Have gotten snail mail that way. ...one the other day, a company that wants to help "my business" with oil drilling. Silly people!
 
Bonnie said:
I would think that once is more than enough!




Have gotten snail mail that way. ...one the other day, a company that wants to help "my business" with oil drilling. Silly people!
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Yes, once is more than enough and it's already happened to me IRL so what are the chances?
 
ManjaroKDE said:
I leave my 'Android' smartphone home as much as possible, I reset it to factory settings, I have all my frequently called numbers on a pad next to the phone. I remove the battery (also resets the sim card) whenever it is powered off, which is often. I've been trained that the GPS still is active unless the battery is removed and I never use it for data searches. Just my feeble attempt to keep Google out of my private life.
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Ditto and I use other search engines. I have a dumb phone for travel. It's there for emergencies but doesn't connect with other phones which most smartphones do then you're tracked everywhere. :giggle:
 
I don't even worry about it anymore. They know all about me. I can put my user name in Google and tons of things from all over the internet come up. If you have been online for very long, then you have a long history. I use all of their tools like Blogger, YouTube, Chrome, Google maps and I don't want to stop using those. I don't use Google for my searches and I have an ad blocker and if they are selling my data for advertising purposes..........well I honestly don't buy much except at Walmart or Amazon.
 

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