Amazon Echo am I too cynical

GoBoldly

Recently after a phone conversation about a medical condition

Next time I used YouTube several advertised videos related to this condition

On a separate phone call I mentioned a particular author
Next day email inbox from Amazon a full list of that authors books were recommended
Am I being too cynical? Echo microphone now switched off.

RumRat

I think you may be being a bit cynical, but, why not test your theory?
Mention something really obscure.
Don't use your echo for phone calls....

GoBoldly

Thank you for your reply

I didn't think of that but I don't use echo for phone calls

Would they be interested in promoting something obscure??

Thx

Tigsteroonie

Mention something not obscure but outside of your own interests, eg. suddenly talk about angling, or childcare ...See if anything then pops up!

RumRat

GoBoldly said:

Thank you for your reply

I didn't think of that but I don't use echo for phone calls

Would they be interested in promoting something obscure??

Thx

If they sell it then they'd be interested....
If you are not using the echo for calls then I'm not sure why it's happened to you. I don't get anything connected with anything from either Amazon or Google and I have both around the house.

GoBoldly

Echo sits within easy listening distance - now unplugged

I will try fishing for something Thx

k3lvc

I used to be cynical about this until last week I had an obscure conversation about renewing vows and replacing wedding rings with a very specific type i.e. metal and source. No further digging done, no internet searches etc but on both Instagram and FB this week I've Ads for exactly that thing - mind blown but not actually bothered enough to unplug Alexa

John_Gray

Even if you are being spied on, you realise it's for your own good! 

RumRat

GoBoldly said:

Echo sits within easy listening distance - now unplugged

I will try fishing for something Thx

Have you also turned off your mobile phone? 

Maybe you should by one of these....  Alexagate          

DCFC79

GoBoldly said:

I will try fishing for something Thx

We are in a lockdown so remember to not go far and social distance from other people.

cymruchris

How else would you find what you were looking for unless it spent 24 hours listening in - think of all the time it saves you Google searching !!! If amazon is really interested in my mundane conversations - they’re welcome to stack up their servers with them. I might worry more if I had something confidential to discuss - but as I don’t - it’s not something that bothers me. 

I was talking to my dad about his funeral arrangements last week - what he wanted - how he wanted it - not that it’s planned yet - but the next day my Facebook was full of funeral plan adheres that had never been there before. So it’s not just Alexa that’s listening!