Internet query from a Luddite. Please help.

[slowmotion]

We have a broadband account with BT, and a wi-fi router at home that the three of us use. Today, using Google, Lady Slowmo was looking up restaurants in Pollensa on her tablet. Tonight, random adverts for restaurants in Pollensa started popping up on my laptop, a completely separate machine.

How does that happen? If somebody could explain it in simple terms, I would be very grateful.

Thank you.

 

[swee'pea99]

They Know EVERYTHING.

 

[Trickedem]

if they are both logged on to the same account. I use google chrome on my laptop, then when I go on my phone I get adverts for stuff I was looking out on the laptop. Booking.com is very bad for this.

 

[slowmotion]

if they are both logged on to the same account. I use google chrome on my laptop, then when I go on my phone I get adverts for stuff I was looking out on the laptop. Booking.com is very bad for this.

Sorry, which same account?

 

[ColinJ]

Sorry, which same account?

Presumably a Google account?

I noticed this sort of behaviour on some of my devices a couple of weeks ago. There is something creepy about it ...

I was just searching for information on this and found some young man complaining that his porn searches were popping up on his mum's phone!

 

[Milkfloat]

Even if the same account is not being used, the advertising could be targeted based on the router IP address.

 

[slowmotion]

Even if the same account is not being used, the advertising could be targeted based on the router IP address.

That was my suspicion. If it's true, it is a bit creepy. How do you thwart them by hiding your IP address?

Edit: Is it Google I should be trying to thwart or some other monolith?

 

[Milkfloat]

From your router it is a bit tougher than from an individual device. I think there is not a lot you can do as IP renewing will be done by your ISP. You could try frequent rebooting of your router, or just block the adverts and scripts in your browsers.

 

[Markymark]

Google isn’t a public service. If something is free to use, you are the product.

Google uses your IP address to target advertisers. There are anonymises you can use else you’ll need to switch search engines.

 

[Globalti]

Or go incognito to search? Incognito searches do not cause this annoying phenomenon - so I'm told.

*ahem*

 

[srw]

Two tips.

1. Install an ad blocker on the laptop.
2. Learn to ignore ads.

Internet advertising is a little bit crap. Despite the wild claims of the people selling the stuff it seems to be only a little more nuanced than press advertising. If you've recently visited a website or searched for something moderately specific an ad will follow you around the web for a while - I'm currently being enticed with adverts for post-grad courses in social work at Liverpool and for director of housing jobs in Manchester. I can see how both appeared, but they aren't right.

One additional tip, to ensure peace of mind for the discerning Mrs. Slomo. If you must browse for things you think she'd be upset by (that was the subtext, wasn't it?) either use the incognito function or set her up with her own accounts.

 

[PaulSB]

That was my suspicion. If it's true, it is a bit creepy. How do you thwart them by hiding your IP address?

Edit: Is it Google I should be trying to thwart or some other monolith?

I’m not 100% sure of this but I have a vague memory that if you obtain a static IP address it is simpler to hide. Without teaching you to suck eggs a static IP is yours and doesn’t change.

I use Google and as with others I get the same ads popping up across three different devices. While I find it ever so slightly irritating this is far outweighed by the satisfaction I get in knowing these people who spend money harvesting my activities are wasting that money.

Why? I’m able to zone out of ads completely, I hardly even notice their position on a page let alone content. Secondly I tend to notice when an ad offers a product I have searched - 99/100 times I’ve purchased the product before the ads appear. If I haven’t purchased I’ve lost interest.

 

[Dave7]

We have a broadband account with BT, and a wi-fi router at home that the three of us use. Today, using Google, Lady Slowmo was looking up restaurants in Pollensa on her tablet. Tonight, random adverts for restaurants in Pollensa started popping up on my laptop, a completely separate machine.

How does that happen? If somebody could explain it in simple terms, I would be very grateful.

Thank you.

There is (seriously) a simple way to stop it........but(seriously) i cant recall it.
On iether your laptop or lady slowmos tablet there is a symbol which you click on and cancel.
It happened to me and mrsDave 12 months ago....someone told me what to do and it was really simple. Alas I am a technophobe and cannot remember but there is a simple solution.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

There is (seriously) a simple way to stop it........but(seriously) i cant recall it.
On iether your laptop or lady slowmos tablet there is a symbol which you click on and cancel.
It happened to me and mrsDave 12 months ago....someone told me what to do and it was really simple. Alas I am a technophobe and cannot remember but there is a simple solution.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/see-delete-google-history
https://www.expressvpn.com/internet-privacy/how-to-permanently-delete-your-google-history/

 

[mjr]

Or go incognito to search? Incognito searches do not cause this annoying phenomenon - so I'm told.

*ahem*

They can still track your address. Browser fingerprint too.

Install a script filter (noscript.net for Firefox) and stop using Google, Bing or Yahoo. (Duck duck go seems OK and fairly friendly.) That'll stop 80% of the shoot.