Google Knows Everything About You (Crazy? or Not So Crazy, You Decide) Read My Theory

Ok, feel free to call me paranoid however I am noticing something more common. I have experienced this this numerous times in the past and now I am beginning to think my paranoia is more than just that. Maybe others are aware of this however I have noticed connections between the ads I am seeing on other websites running Google ads in relation to the kinds of things I type into Google's search engine or maybe even the kinds of sites I have visited. A recent example of this is that I was looking up information on rental cars using Google search.

I specifically visited the Hertz website. A few hours later I began browsing as usual and went to a website related to something very unrelated to Cars, and there it was; two visible ads for "Hertz". While I wish I could say that this is the first time something like this has happened it isn't. I frequently notice ads for things I have just searched for being displayed on sites running adsense and these sites have nothing to do with the subjects I research yet display relevant ads. Here is my theory below:

Theory:

Google's Algorithm has changed to the point where it now tracks every user by IP address, so for example if you are searching for a specific search term or browsing a website running adsense ads, then it will log the sites you visit or terms you search for and display matching ads to you regardless of what website you visit. I think this is one of the reasons why people often see irrelevant ads on their websites. Google is refining their technique and logging all of our activity individually. I also believe Google has a way of rating the relevance of each users visit, for example Google might pay Adsense account holders for clicks based on criteria around the kinds of sites a person visits prior to arriving at their site.

I will provide a better example; A person that visits Gamespot.com and then clicks on a link to netflix from Gamespot might result in a publisher earning .10-.20 cents for that click, however a person that has visited moviereviews.com and then went to Gamespot and then clicked the netflix link might result in a publisher earning .20-.30 cents for the click since the chance of an actual sale is increased.

I am sure Google tracks on a much larger scale though, they potentially log days if not years of user activity, and this seriously makes me worry exactly how far back they can log this info. Microsoft stores user search details for months ( I heard a story about a serial killer that was caught after he searched for map directions through MSN and ended up being the only person to look up those directions which led from his house to his victim) from what I have heard so Google is likely storing the user data for years. This brings up another issue of Google potentially knowing what websites we spend our time on up to 85% of the time. If Google were to ever gain control of Yahoo's search engine algorithm again then they could likely track the activity of anyone on the planet.

It was just a few months ago that a report came out saying Google would be providing information targeting area's that are showing increases in people being sick, it is obvious Google is tracking users right down to their neighborhoods and potentially street addresses. Some might think this is all fine however when you visit Brazil or Asia and come home with a foreign sickness and then suddenly wonder how you were quarantined after hearing a knock at the door without ever telling a soul; stop wondering and think Google (Google search to be more precise). Please let me know what you think. I will finish by saying I strong think Google knows where we live, what we eat, when we sleep, maybe even how much we weigh, our racial and physical make ups, and most of all Google knows the way we think.

 

That was one hell of a long story, but got through it

I think its getting more and more accepted that this kind of practice is necessarily evil (even if its not).
The best thing you can do is to reject cookies from Adsense of block the entire domain.

 

You are right buddy . I have also seen such things in adsense ads . I was searching for bikini babes than i visited a good tech forum where i saw ads like Tech babes wallpapers , buy bikini etc . I was wondering that this concept can hurt our adsense earnings also by displaying unrelated ads .

 

Google is like Santa Clause.

 

It has never been a secret that Google likes data.

I am sure they are working as hard as they can to
accomplish exactly what you are talking about.

I have seen the same evidence you are seeing in my own searches/surfing.

 

Thank God. I knew I wasn't crazy. Btw, the same website that was showing me the hertz ads earlier is still showing me the hertz add and only the hertz add, despite the fact that the website has nothing even remotely close to do with cars, automotives or anything of that nature.

I certainly agree with you on this. This really goes to show how desperate Google has become, using their network to follow people around and displaying irrelevant ads based on other criteria irrelevant to the sites content. I think its a real disrespect to Adsense publishers to have ads for "Dandruff Shampoo" running on their websites about classic piano's; yeah I bet Mozart could have really benefited from some "Head and Shoulders". FaceBook attempted something like this almost a year ago which basically disclosed shopping activity to people on their friends list; Facebook had such a backlash that they ended up having to issue and apology however Google is so sneaky they can easily mask a lot of their behavior by engineering the protocol to only initiate this behavior in certain cases and not all so it won't be too obvious. Its clear Google means to decieve us, but the idea that everywhere I go online is monitored by Google just makes me sick, also as I mentioned above Google is tracking users by IP so even if you do not accept cookies from Adsense they will always know who you are.

 

I reviewed someones site and commented on improper use of English. Next day I checked back and all his adsense was "Learn speak English", "Your English Better". I think google may have tracked the link back to DP and acted accordingly with relevant content.

 

Google knows where you live, likely where you go to school or work. Google's sneaky algorithm likely even knows how many times you have been sicked in the last year. Don't feel paranoid because you are not. Google is likely doing some damn near illegal activity however their system is so sophisticated no one can actually determine the exact nature it.

 

Thank for a information. Google <<>> eye

 

You are right google probably knows alot about us, but no more than our government. Good post just something else to worry about

 

Conspiracy theorists!

 

Hmm, when Google is being used to retrieve your medical records in a few years, you might think differently.

 

I don't know if your theory is right or not, however is a good idea for a movie script!!

 

I totally agree with you, one of the main goals for Google is Behavior Studies and collecting personal information is one of their goals

 

google can control us

 

Of course they track you but they cant be stopped now.

 

Shocking but true !

 

Finally someone said. Even I have been noticing this for at least a couple of months now and the scale of tracking Google does for each individual user could well be violating our right of privacy.

 

I guess everyone on this thread forgot about the dart cookie google started using how soon we forget. When your are not opt out of the dart cookie you will see ads thats your have surfed on. If you was looking at a site with cars you will see ads related to cars even if the site is not relevant to cars, this what the dart cookie does give you ads that you have surfed about.

 

First off, you are assuming:

1) That everyone uses Google

and

2) Everyone is always logged into their Google account.

Not true and Not true.

I log into my Google account to check things like adsense and analytics and then I log out IMMEDIATELY afterward.

I don't use Google search.

As for the relevant ads thing, you can choose to opt out of having that cookie stored on your PC. I chose to keep the cookie. Personally, I don't mind being shown highly relevant ads that suit my interests. Unfortunately, it doesn't work because as I said above, I don't use Google and am never logged into my Google account.

So, in the end, Google knows nothing about me. Point is, they only know what you allow them to know.