# Freaky thing: Google knows what specific thing I was looking at in a physical store. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 15, 2019, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542 "2019-06-15T05:29:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/1 "2019-06-15T05:29:54Z")
When I was at the Home Depot today, I randomly stopped at a small 5 foot long display of garbage disposals for a few minutes. One of the garbage disposal’s product name was “Badger” which I thought was funny. I have never searched for or shopped for a garbage disposal online in my life. I do not have a Home Depot app on my phone. After I left the store, I used Google on my phone to look up an address and an ad for the Badger garbage disposal popped up. WTF? I have never had this happen to me. I have had Google let me know what physical stores I had visited, but I have never had Google pinpoint exactly what aisle I was in or what product I was looking at. Is this a new thing? ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/2 "2019-06-15T05:39:47Z")
This article might explain how. But I’m convinced that google is psychic. > **[Opinion | In Stores, Secret Bluetooth Surveillance Tracks Your Every Move...](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/14/opinion/bluetooth-wireless-tracking-privacy.html)** > > As you shop, “beacons” are watching you, using hidden technology in your phone. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/3 "2019-06-15T06:33:45Z")
It’s just the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. You had Badger ads before, but you ignored them. Now you notice them. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/4 "2019-06-15T06:51:57Z")
Tell Google you don’t need no stinkin’ Badgers. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/5 "2019-06-15T07:59:05Z")
I must be easy to read. Google does this to me, all the time. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/6 "2019-06-15T10:04:31Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s just the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. You had Badger ads before, but you ignored them. Now you notice them. Totally read that as BADGER-Meinhof phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/7 "2019-06-15T11:57:09Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > This article might explain how. But I’m convinced that google is psychic. > > [Opinion | In Stores, Secret Bluetooth Surveillance Tracks Your Every Move - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/14/opinion/bluetooth-wireless-tracking-privacy.html) This does seem to be a good explanation for the OP, and pretty scary too. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/8 "2019-06-15T12:10:00Z")
It’s been almost 20 years since I started analyzing Bluetooth. It was scary then, it’s scary now. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/9 "2019-06-15T16:54:03Z")
My coworker showed me a new piece of video equipment he had just bought. I didn’t google it or look at anything like it on my computer, but now I’m getting ads for it. It’s a little creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/10 "2019-06-15T19:38:02Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > This article might explain how. But I’m convinced that google is psychic. > > [Opinion | In Stores, Secret Bluetooth Surveillance Tracks Your Every Move - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/14/opinion/bluetooth-wireless-tracking-privacy.html) I saw that article yesterday and disabled Bluetooth on my phone immediately thereafter. I’d recommend also checking and limiting which apps are authorized to access location data on your phone. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/11 "2019-06-15T20:50:35Z")
Just used up one of my NY Times freebies to read it. Not really seeing the threat. I could see dystopian totalitarianism making nefarious use of the tech. But we’re a bit of a ways off from that, and meanwhile, a grocery app knowing that I spend more time in the cheese section than the baby aisle - and sending coupons for mozzarella but not diapers - is low on my list of worries. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/12 "2019-06-15T21:19:00Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s just the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. You had Badger ads before, but you ignored them. Now you notice them. Reminds me of this trick [ESP Experiment](http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/esp.html) ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/13 "2019-06-16T00:59:29Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Reminds me of this trick [ESP Experiment](http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/esp.html) That was slick! When they say they’re gonna remove the card you chose, they remove _all_ the cards. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/14 "2019-06-16T01:02:54Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > That was slick! > > When they say they’re gonna remove the card you chose, they remove _all_ the cards. Yeah. I saw this trick a couple of decades ago (not on the web - in a PowerPoint of all things) and it took me a while to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freaky-thing-google-knows-what-specific-thing-i-was-looking-at-in-a-physical-store/835542/15 "2019-06-16T01:14:15Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Tell Google you don’t need no stinkin’ Badgers. If you run an orange or lemon through it every once in a while, it’s not so bad.