Rant: Big Brother Is Watching You!

[JimDawson]

I was looking for an item on line and happened on a K-Mart web ad that had the item I was looking for. OK, no problem so far. I looked at a couple of different products in the same line, got the information I wanted, then closed the browser.

About 30 minutes later I get an email from K-Mart asking me if I was still interested in the items I was looking at.

I have never given K-Mart my email address nor have I ever ordered anything from them on line, I haven't even been in one of their stores in years. How the he!! did K-mart get my %(&*&^% email address?
This is going way too far.

 

[wrmiller]

Wow...

 

[Andre]

When you sign up for things, there's a chance your information gets sold. If Kmart bought your information, they can piece together the puzzle by (most likely) IP address.

 

[stupoty]

I had a canadian friend and her dad stay for a few days a while back , she had lost her visa card during her travels(around europe) and got a replcement sent to my address.

I started getting prospectuses for schools near where she lives ??

Thats just odd isn't it ?

Stuart

 

[davidh]

all of our fancy technology is not free. . . . somehow or other we do pay for it. . . after all, someone has to..............

 

[tomh]

One word cookies

 

[alloy]

Just be glad you didn't order something from them. I ordered my tach from Zoro, and the braking resistor from Aliexpress and every place I go on my computer or phone they are there trying to sell me something, even here.

On the top of the page right now is a Zoro, on the bottom is Aliexpress.

 

[Dan_S]

One word cookies

you would be amazed what you can do with cookies and JavaScript.

FYI, I'm a full stack web developer.

 

[Grumpy Gator]

Jim,
Thats the reason I don't use Garbel or Bong stuff follows you home and jams your inbox with crud.
There are a few browsers that I use a lot. One is "DuckDuckGo" there is no track back.
The thing that really irks me is if they sold my name and address where is my cut.
*****Just Saying*********G************************

 

[foleda]

One word cookies

Install NoScript and Ghostery (for Firefox) or their equivalents for Chromium. NoScript prevents web sites from running javascript on your computer.

If you use it to block everyting you will break most web sites but with a little fiddling you can usually enable the servers needed to allow the site to function while preventing doubleclick and all the other tracking sites from running scripts on your computer.

Ghostery blocks tracking cookies. The same caveats apply.

It is a nuisance to have to find the right combination whenever you visit a new web site but privacy has a price. Not perfect but have been using these plugins for years and I very rarely get targeted ads.