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Just found out the city's traffic cameras feed data to private companies
They put them up to cut down on traffic, but now ads pop up based on where we drive. It's creepy how our own trips are turned into cash for someone else.
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aaron8543mo ago
Man, I used to shrug and say it was just how things work now. But hearing stuff like what ward.olivia said about the tire coupon, that's just too specific. It really shows how every move gets tracked and packaged up. Suddenly that data isn't just about traffic flow, it's straight up a product they sell.
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ward.olivia3mo ago
Tell me about it. Got a coupon for a tire shop I passed once, which felt like a very weird, specific thing to be told by my phone.
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jakewhite3mo ago
Seriously, phones these days... I once got a pop-up for dog food right after I mentioned needing to buy some to a friend. Not even searched for it, just said it out loud. Felt like the phone was eavesdropping, which it probably was. Makes you wonder what else it's picking up on without us knowing. That tire coupon thing is just the tip of the iceberg, honestly. Whole system is built to catch those little moments and turn them into ads.
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sanchez.mary2mo ago
Right, the whole system is built to catch those little moments. I feel like a walking ad target sometimes. My phone heard me complain about my back hurting last week and now I'm getting ads for fancy office chairs. I guess my own groaning is the new search bar.
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