We’ve all seen this: you scroll down Facebook or Google search results and see an ad for a restaurant or product you were just talking about the other day.
How can this be? Was your phone “spying” on you? According to Consumer Reports, not exactly.
Instead, what you’re seeing is a personalized ad created by your search habits. Google, Facebook, and others collect data as you enter search terms and click on various results or other ads. They know you, and as a result, you are likely to see ads regarding things you just talked about last week. The best way to get around this is to turn off app permission, browse in “incognito mode” or uninstall intrusive apps.
