The “Music Now Playing, Pixel Ambient Services” feature on my phone does listen to music in the environment. It has a history list of songs it has heard, not songs I’ve played on the phone, but ones that have been playing where the phone can hear them. It also says
I’ve not had any experience like you, where songs I heard in the car or something, then get suggested on Youtube.
My recent story: A coworker mentioned to me she needed to get her house painted. A few minutes later I saw an ad on Facebook for paint. We are not Facebook friends, and I do not have the Facebook app installed on my phone.
At the moment, I’ve never seen any actual evidence that the sort of eavesdropping suggested here is occurring. Just lots of coincidences. At some point some evidence may (will?) come out that despite all of the denials, it has actually been happening. It isn’t only phones and digital assistants that may be listening, but also TVs, thermostats, cars, refrigerators, etc.
One more thing, if I’m out & not actively using my phone it’s in my (rear) pocket. Conversations would be muffled to non-existent when I’m sitting on your sofa…
I think what people are probably missing is that they are likely logged into Google wherever they access the Internet. So your phone knows what your browser has been searching for and vice versa.
The thing that keeps happening to me–which thoroughly creeps me out–is Google quickly suggests something I was just talking about when I DO go to Google that topic.
I’m somewhat savvy about privacy settings, general disallow cookies when I can, have targeted advertising turned off, do not allow Google voice activation or suggested news, and have location history disabled–but I’m well aware there’s data to mine that I can’t control or don’t know how to disable. I have disabled Adsense and every other targeted advertising through everything I know to, so I don’t often see targeted ads on my phone (and Adblock enures I never see any ads online).
That all as a preface: Often I will be discussing a topic with my GF or ask something outloud–“what time does Arby’s close?”–and I grab my phone, open the google app, type in A-R- aaaand Arby’s pops up.
Of all the things on the planet that start with A-R, jumping immediately to the correct suggestion seems like a far-fetched coincidence.
What’s even CREEPIER is this happens when I’m alone, when I haven’t said anything out loud. In those cases, it really starts to feel like Google is reading my mind.
I have no idea how search suggestions are prioritized–obviously there’s some algorithm that pushes likely suggestions to the top based on the first few letters you type. But how correct it is so often sure FEELS like it’s eavesdropping.
I just typed “ar” in google, and arby’s was the first suggestion.
Different browsers - I’m reading this in firefox, and I went to do the search in Chrome. Looking at different suggestions for ar and another letter - I suspect that Arby’s is just flat out the most common word to be searched for all of those words that can start with ar-
If it had been something obscure, I might be more prone to believe, but a major food chain vs. arabian or arsenal? I’d have bet on Arby’s no matter what you had just done.
This is interesting. I typed “ar” into the search bar and Arby’s didn’t come up at all. The first suggestion was “argon vs air drysuit,” which is a phrase I searched months ago (related to scuba diving); other suggestions included argos, Ariana Grande, Arsenal F.C. (soccer club), army, Arclight Cinemas Hollywood, area 51 raid, and arles (whatever that is). I have never eaten at an Arby’s, and I’m mostly vegetarian, for whatever that’s worth.
The simplest explanation is of course that you’re previously searched for Arby’s, and that’s why it’s showing up again. Google remembers, even if you’ve forgotten.
You typed your own answer. If you don’t want that to happen, download & open a (non-chrome) browser in private browsing mode, pull up google’s website, while not signed in, & type your query. It’s a few more steps & doesn’t retain your search history, which some people find to be a benefit but that will reduce the creepiness factor. Is it worth it? You decide.
Also, I think there are ways in which ad firms can pay for services which make their clients’ names more likely to appear in predictive search results for certain people, base on past searches. If you’ve searched for the nearest Wendy’s at all in the past, for example, you’re more likely to see Arby’s when you start typing “Ar–” than someone who never searches for anything fast-food related ever.
I think I have shared this here before, but a while back I was on a trip to a conference, and car pooling… A few of the other passengers began discussing Cabela’s, and ammunition (avid shooty-people)… And sure enough, next time I pulled out my phone, all of the ads in my browser were Cabela’s ads and ammunition reloading supplies. And I am definitely not the type to have ever searched for anything that should trigger that through ad personalization!
