Is this just a coincidence? I do some technical writing for my son in Australia. A few days ago I e-mailed him an article about an obscure engineering tool. A few days later there was...

Scouser Loc: British Columbia

I do some technical writing for my son in Australia. A few days ago I e-mailed him an article about an obscure engineering tool. A few days later there was pop-up ad on UHH for this tool.

Yesterday on Google, I researched an obscure species of hardwood for a woodworking project. This morning there was a pop-up ad for it on UHH.

Could someone have access to my personal e-mails and Google searches?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Possibly... Is your email Gmail???

I would not be surprised that Google sells search information.
Possibly the "ad" routine that UHH utilizes may have access to google info?

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Scouser wrote:

I do some technical writing for my son in Australia. A few days ago I e-mailed him an article about an obscure engineering tool. A few days later there was pop-up ad on UHH for this tool.

Yesterday on Google, I researched an obscure species of hardwood for a woodworking project. This morning there was a pop-up ad for it on UHH.

Could someone have access to my personal e-mails and Google searches?

Yes - most sites track info. You can use a different browser that blocks trackers. The ones showing tracking attempts blocked is when I used Safari as my web browser - the browser showing nothing blocked is the browser I use.

This is a partial of my tracking report from this morning.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Shellback wrote:

Yes - most sites track info. You can use a different browser that blocks trackers. The ones showing tracking attempts blocked is when I used Safari as my web browser - the browser showing nothing blocked is the browser I use.
...

I have my browser set to block trackers, also an add-on for the browser, and I think Norton does also.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I am led to believe that DuckDuckGo uses Google through an anonymous link so you get the same search without the tracking.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

DirtFarmer wrote:

I am led to believe that DuckDuckGo uses Google through an anonymous link so you get the same search without the tracking.

I usually get a lot more results with Google than Duck.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Scouser wrote:

I do some technical writing for my son in Australia. A few days ago I e-mailed him an article about an obscure engineering tool. A few days later there was pop-up ad on UHH for this tool.

Yesterday on Google, I researched an obscure species of hardwood for a woodworking project. This morning there was a pop-up ad for it on UHH.

Could someone have access to my personal e-mails and Google searches?

Yep, it only takes one of you to have a GMail account and google logs the message. Google explains this is to make ads more tailored to your interests. There is a setting in GMail to deactivate this that seems to work, but who really knows.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Longshadow wrote:

I usually get a lot more results with Google than Duck.

me too, and different results as well. Usually a lot more results, and more relevant.
I do use CC Cleaner most nights before finishing for the day and it picks up at least 100 trackers that have got thru my blockers. I then delete them and do a quick system clean using Windows Clean Up. Seems to keep my laptop pretty quick without problems.
Am I paranoid? No, but I do know they are out to get me.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Now that our phone (I still use a landline) has gone digital and runs through the router I can be chatting on the phone to someone and adds come up for what I've been talking about.

Everybody is listening.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

Scouser wrote:

I do some technical writing for my son in Australia. A few days ago I e-mailed him an article about an obscure engineering tool. A few days later there was pop-up ad on UHH for this tool.

Yesterday on Google, I researched an obscure species of hardwood for a woodworking project. This morning there was a pop-up ad for it on UHH.

Could someone have access to my personal e-mails and Google searches?

Have you ever heard of cookies?

Stan

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

StanMac wrote:

Have you ever heard of cookies?

Stan

Sites store cookies on your PC regarding what you viewed and let other sites know where they are and the cookie names.
That way the other sites can see what you viewed and tailor ads to you.
Info stored on your system, not theirs.
I go through and delete unnecessary site cookies every day or two.

Scouser Loc: British Columbia

I don't understand the first thing about cookies, I am a computer dinosaur. However, I am concerned that an item in a personal e-mail to my son could show up in an Ad.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Scouser wrote:

I don't understand the first thing about cookies, I am a computer dinosaur. However, I am concerned that an item in a personal e-mail to my son could show up in an Ad.

In Gmail perhaps?

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

This is from Gmail settings - so you can see what they are doing. Log into Gmail - click on the settings icon (looks like a cog wheel) by your name in the upper right corner - a panel will open - select See All Settings - scroll through the setting and select or de-select as you desire.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

Scouser wrote:

……Could someone have access to my personal e-mails and Google searches?

It wouldn’t surprise me in the least bit. The sad part is people are getting paid doing little to no physical work. Each day I go to work and break my back for a real salary.