No, Facebook doesn't secretly listen via your microphone to target ads at you

[bcking 3,157]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2018/04/10/no-facebook-doesnt-secretly-listen-via-your-microphone-target-ads-you/505257002/

 

Okay this is something that I am mostly skeptical about, but I have difficulty explaining. I'm wondering if more tech-minded people may have alternate explanations.

 

My wife and I have no children. Not even close. So any level of schooling is at least several years away. We were out sailing on Saturday with two of our friends who are older and have children. While sailing we started talking about school since they are looking for at preschool options. We talked for about 10-15 minutes at the different schooling options (they wanted my opinion as a Pediatrician) in Houston. They asked me specifically about Montessori school. Conversation like I said, maybe 15 minutes. Just chatting. Now fast forward 2 days later and what has popped up on facebook? Sponsored adds by Montessori. Neither my wife and I have googled anything, we have no need to. We didn't look up anything on our phone at the time. 

 

How can facebook know to display a sponsored add by Montessori when there is nothing else on our facebook to suggest we would be interested, and the only time it has come up for us in any way is in a conversation?

 

I realize all the reasons why facebook "listening in" is impractical and probably doesn't happen...but I don't understand else they can get this information. The ad was clearly targeted, but we had ZERO online presence to suggest we were interested in it. 

 

Anyone else with similar examples? Any explanations?

Edited April 16, 2018 by bcking

[charmander 692]

Maybe you'll find an answer here.

 

 

[bcking 3,157]

I just had first hand personal experience of that...not for the purposes of a youtube video, but just in my normal every day life.

 

Seriously the day before sailing my wife and I were driving and I was actually trying to argue against it, saying it was unlikely and not practical for facebook to do. I dismissed it and said probably in all the cases there was something else that facebook used to link the ad to the owner. I've read articles that have tried to explain how it would even work in order to show our it just isn't practical.

 

All that being said, we ABSOLUTELY never typed Montessori into any computer, phone, search engine or anything recently. We've only spoken about it once, and that was on Saturday. We have nothing else that connects us to Montessori. The ONLY other explanation I can think of is since we are facebook friends with our friends, perhaps they are searching for Montessori and then facebook thinks that since they are, maybe there friends would want it also? But that would be hundreds of people getting Montessori ads regardless of whether or not they have children. That seems equally impractical.

 

The Zuck gave a pretty straight up "No" in the hearing to the question...so that would also be lying under oath if they really were.

[charmander 692]

Maybe they use location data. They knew you guys and your friends hung out for a while, then your friends heavily searched Montessori on their computer; which triggered Facebook to display Montessori and to both of you.

 
Not related to this but few months ago I researched about Volvo SUVs specifically the XC90 model via Youtube, auto review sites and such. Facebook still displays me XC90 ads frequently. Anything is possible.

 

[bcking 3,157]

Just now, charmander said:

Maybe they use location data. They knew you guys and your friends hung out for a while, then your friends heavily searched Montessori on their computer; which triggered Facebook to display Montessori and to both of you.

 
Not related to this but few months ago I researched about Volvo SUVs specifically the XC90 model via Youtube, auto review sites and such. Facebook still displays me XC90 ads frequently. Anything is possible.

 

Well I'm absolutely sure that facebook knows what you are searching for on youtube and google. That has happened countless times. Pretty much all of my ads are made up of things I have searched for. That doesn't surprise me one bit. I once set my wife a text message about the new VW Atlas (while I was getting my car serviced). We never talked about it again, and she didn't search for it but she got several ads on facebook about it. Just from a text message.

 

The voice would still be a step up. The location data + friend's search history is a promising explanation I guess.

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

1 hour ago, bcking said:

Well I'm absolutely sure that facebook knows what you are searching for on youtube and google. That has happened countless times. Pretty much all of my ads are made up of things I have searched for. That doesn't surprise me one bit. I once set my wife a text message about the new VW Atlas (while I was getting my car serviced). We never talked about it again, and she didn't search for it but she got several ads on facebook about it. Just from a text message.

 

The voice would still be a step up. The location data + friend's search history is a promising explanation I guess.

I have seen Google target Ads to me based on location.  

[bcking 3,157]

14 hours ago, Amica Nostra said:

I have seen Google target Ads to me based on location.  

We have never (knowingly) driven by Montessori. It would have had to be our location linking us to our friends who we were with at the time, and then looking at our friend's search history and assuming we would want ads for the same thing.

 

Slightly less creepy than just listening to our conversation...but not by much.