They are listening!!!
In this modern society we take a lot of our technology for granted. Everything we need or want is at our fingertips. The amount of information we can get just by a "Hey Siri" or "OK Google" is astounding. It may seem like these are great free services, but they do come at a price.
Our devices listen to us. The first time I saw it, it literally scared me stiff. I froze, and mumbled something like "Whoa!" My wife asked what was wrong. It really did take me a few seconds to respond because I was caught so off guard.
Here is the story. I needed some new black undershirts. I went to Walmart but only found packs of undershirts that came with 2 black and 3 grey. Since I didn't need any grey shirts I did what a lot of us do. Amazon here I come!
I got home and my wife started to make dinner. I proceeded to open the Amazon app on my phone to look at black under shirts. Of course I found some, I mean really what can't you find on Amazon? I put the shirt pack into my cart and began the check out process. At this time my wife calmly said "Can you run to the store and pick up taco shells? We only have three left." I agreed and finished up buy my shirts.
At the end of the check out on my order screen is where I froze. At the bottom of the page was a very eerie ad. OLD EL PASO TACO SHELLS-- Amazon Fresh--
{Note} This ad came only about one minute or so after the word TACO SHELL was said... They are very fast!
What? Why? How? I never searched for taco shells or anything similar on Amazon. The closest thing I have bought like that from Amazon is paper towels. They had to be listening. Listening to not just me, but listening to my wife from across the room. I was in the family room, and my wife was in the kitchen.
I don't believe I responded to her request for taco shells with using the word "taco shell" Just like any normal person I probably said, " Sure, I'll run to the store for you." It's not natural for me to say. " I will go get the taco shells you have requested" Or something like that. My phones mic most likely was able to pick up her voice from the kitchen next to the family room.
So after my eye opening encounter with Amazon I did of course go to the store and purchase some Old El Paso Taco Shells. Not from Amazon, but from my local grocery store.
What scared me so much about this was every other app I have asks if it can use the camera or mic. These are apps that usually need these items to function. The Chase mobile bank app is a good example. It needs to use my camera when I deposit checks form my phone. As far as I remember I never gave Amazon permission to use my camera or microphone. (I'm sure somewhere in their 8 million page EULA there is something there, or at least I would hope)
This is the future and we are fast entering it. Privacy is all but gone. Living with no privacy is the only option we seem to have if you want all the modern day tech. I do enjoy the convenience of tech, I just would rather it not be spying on me at all hours of the day and night.
What other apps or devices are watching and listening to us? Everything we have is becoming SMART. Smartphone's, Smart TV's, Smart Washer and Dryers, Smart Refrigerators. The list can go on and on.
What I found out from the Amazon app I'm sure is just a small sliver in what information is being collected and probably sold about us. The only comfort I take is that I am one person in a sea of over 6 billion. Hopefully my info is lost in all the other info being collected and won't come back to bite me in the ass. After all there could be a lot of damage to me if someone sold the info that I needed taco shells a few days ago.
Be safe and be mindful of what you put out there in the world. Chances are someone, somewhere can see it.