Big Brother!

[target2019]

https://www.consumerreports.org/digital-security/stolen-emails-and-passwords-surface-online/

Somewhere, a bunch of people are using computing assets to integrate large numbers of stolen email addresses. I wonder how much of this aggregation is marketed to unsuspecting business owners like Pizza Shop Joe?

 

[ChiliPepr]

I didn't. I only used the message service through OKCupid.

The other option is she searched your name on LinkedIn... If you search for someone on LinkedIn, they will often see your profile when they log in. But, then again, it could be sharing of data.

 

[jimandthom]

We get our telephone service through Charter and a bundle.

Most calls show up on the TV screen with the telephone # and who it is. If the TV is not on it shows on the screen of the telephone and the answer machine.

 

[SecondCor521]

The other option is she searched your name on LinkedIn... If you search for someone on LinkedIn, they will often see your profile when they log in. But, then again, it could be sharing of data.

Ah, that is plausible. Thanks.

 

[Stonewalker]

After reading these, I just had to Google my name (my, how far we've come - Google as a verb...).

Apparently, I'm a French harpsichordist. That's the first couple hits. Privacy is gone, my friends, so we might as well smile at the absurdities.

 

[audreyh1]

After reading these, I just had to Google my name (my, how far we've come - Google as a verb...).

Apparently, I'm a French harpsichordist. That's the first couple hits. Privacy is gone, my friends, so we might as well smile at the absurdities.

Hey, that would be cool!

My name is apparently common enough that I share it with many other women. Tons of different images online, not me.

 

[Stonewalker]

Just to be clear, I'm not a French harpsichordist.

 

[John Galt III]

I don't mind someone with caller id knowing who I am when I call. Happens all the time. But facial recognition is here already, and viable, apparently. At some airports, you are told to look at the camera, then the clerk says 'Hello, Mr. Smith. How are you today?'. I'm not too keen on being identified by camera anywhere, any time, just walking by a camera on the street somewhere, by Big Brother. I wish we could vote on it, but we're not supposed to complain, I guess.

 

[braumeister]

I don't mind someone with caller id knowing who I am when I call.

Not commonly used, but if you want to block the system from showing your caller ID, you can dial *67 before dialing the number (most of the time this works). On some phones (like the iPhone) you can disable it permanently in the Settings.

 

[John Galt III]

I’ve given up. You’d have to completely unplug to get back to being anonymous and that may not even work.

You're right, lol. Facial recognition software and cameras are now a real thing. I suppose wearing dark glasses could foil it, though, lol.

 

[John Galt III]

Not commonly used, but if you want to block the system from showing your caller ID, you can dial *67 before dialing the number (most of the time this works). On some phones (like the iPhone) you can disable it permanently in the Settings.

Thanks, Braumeister. I have done the *67 thing in the past, but I think they started charging for it! Also, sometimes the number you are calling would have a recording saying 'the number you dialed does not accept anonymous calls', and disconnect you.

 

[CaptTom]

What I don’t like is the interconnectedness of my computers. I have a iPad and a Win 10 machine. I surf for a new tire on my iPad, which does not have Facebook on it. And then I go to my Win machine and there are ads fore tires, including in my Facebook stream.

Mostly just for the challenge, and partly because it creeps me out, I try to avoid what you describe. It's really pretty simple:

Never log on to anything unless you have to. Don't set web sites like Amazon to "remember me."

Set your browser to clear all cookies at close - then close it between sessions.

Do all your searching on Amazon without logging on. When you find what you want, copy the first part of the address (only the part before the "/ref") to the clip board, close the browser, open back up, log on, then paste the saved address. You can buy the item without leaving behind any search history. It also means they can't change the price based on your history, without you knowing.

Install a browser add-on like "Ghostery" which blocks trackers. Basically every web page you open has a slew of tiny, one-pixel images on it, each on a different server. Your browser dutifully requests that image from each server, sending along a bunch of "header" information about your environment, such as browser type, any cookies it's saved and your IP address. Each of those servers belongs to a company whose mission is to track your every movement.

Use an ad-block browser or browser add-on.

Never use your Google or Facebook or other such account to sign on to some other web site. No need to link everything together for them!

Never click on all those social media links on third-party sites, and try to convince your friends and relatives not to "tag" you too much, and especially not to type in your e-mail address on those links to "send this to a friend." If you want to share something with me, send me an e-mail or text with the link, don't tell some web site to do it for you.

There's a lot more you can do, but I try to stop short of tin-foil-hat territory. It's really just a game to me.

 

[CaptTom]

Funny story about others with the same name:

Long ago, I snagged my real name as a gmail account. I never really use it. It turns out there are a few others with the same name as me. At least one of them must have a similar e-mail account, and sometimes types it in wrong. So I occasionally get his mail.

So far, I've gotten certified as a PADI diver in the Caribbean, gotten an estimate for a construction job on Long Island, NY and found out that I have an income tax refund due for some part-time work I did in New Zealand. My namesake really gets around!

 

[Midpack]

Mostly just for the challenge, and partly because it creeps me out, I try to avoid what you describe. It's really pretty simple:

Never log on to anything unless you have to. Don't set web sites like Amazon to "remember me."

Set your browser to clear all cookies at close - then close it between sessions.

Do all your searching on Amazon without logging on. When you find what you want, copy the first part of the address (only the part before the "/ref") to the clip board, close the browser, open back up, log on, then paste the saved address. You can buy the item without leaving behind any search history. It also means they can't change the price based on your history, without you knowing.

Install a browser add-on like "Ghostery" which blocks trackers. Basically every web page you open has a slew of tiny, one-pixel images on it, each on a different server. Your browser dutifully requests that image from each server, sending along a bunch of "header" information about your environment, such as browser type, any cookies it's saved and your IP address. Each of those servers belongs to a company whose mission is to track your every movement.

Use an ad-block browser or browser add-on.

Never use your Google or Facebook or other such account to sign on to some other web site. No need to link everything together for them!

Never click on all those social media links on third-party sites, and try to convince your friends and relatives not to "tag" you too much, and especially not to type in your e-mail address on those links to "send this to a friend." If you want to share something with me, send me an e-mail or text with the link, don't tell some web site to do it for you.

There's a lot more you can do, but I try to stop short of tin-foil-hat territory. It's really just a game to me.

Good ideas. I practice some of the above, but not all. I'm always looking to up my privacy game. Thanks.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

We’re moving as soon as possible, so hopefully they’ll have my name and address data wrong for a long while...

Good luck with that. We have had two "new" addresses in the last 10 months (one that was a family rental, so no deed transaction) and they are both already on the data compiler sites. It's a battle that you can fight, but unless you 100% go off the IT grid (impossible?) and title all your properties in a name other than *your* name, you won't win the war.

 

[ProspectiveBum]

I share a name with a young man who has been drafted into one of the major North American pro sports leagues. He hasn’t made it to the show yet, but anyone searching my name will have to wade through many pages of statistics, draft analysis, etc., which is fine by me.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Not commonly used, but if you want to block the system from showing your caller ID, you can dial *67 before dialing the number (most of the time this works). On some phones (like the iPhone) you can disable it permanently in the Settings.

That doesn't work if you call a toll free number.

 

[Midpack]

Good luck with that. We have had two "new" addresses in the last 10 months (one that was a family rental, so no deed transaction) and they are both already on the data compiler sites. It's a battle that you can fight, but unless you 100% go off the IT grid (impossible?) and title all your properties in a name other than *your* name, you won't win the war.

I don't expect to "win the war," but I don't believe we should just throw up our hands and let our personal info be scooped up, shared and sold by anyone and everyone. It is worth limiting the damage where possible IMO. Just avoiding one or two prolific "evil" data mining outfits, they're well known, should help some. I know a lot of people who download every app, click on every link and register everywhere they're asked. I'm convinced they're asking for more trouble than those who refrain...but I agree we all have some exposure.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I don't expect to "win the war," but I don't believe we should just throw up our hands and let our personal info be scooped up by anyone and everyone. It is worth limiting the damage where possible IMO. Just avoiding one or two prolific data mining outfits, they're well known, should help some...

Well, I don't advocate not fighting it, it's just a very, VERY hard (and time consuming) battle to fight. My SIL doesn't do *any* social media and as far as I know doesn't really do forums, either. When you search her name, cell #, and email, you come up with just about nada. It's really quite amazing at how little of her information is out there.

 

[CDRE]

Good ideas. I practice some of the above, but not all. I'm always looking to up my privacy game. Thanks.

You can also use Firefox and add the extension "Google Analytics Blocker".

 

[braumeister]

My SIL doesn't do *any* social media and as far as I know doesn't really do forums, either. When you search her name, cell #, and email, you come up with just about nada. It's really quite amazing at how little of her information is out there.

I deleted my FB, LinkedIn, and other social media accounts years ago, and set up new ones with phony names, just so I could look at friends' postings. Works pretty well.

 

[Sunset]

If you get a landline phone, you can tell them any name to list it in the phone book. Then whenever you get a phone call for "Tom Jones", you know it's from the listing.

It's free that way instead of paying for unlisted listing .

 

[Spock]

The strangest one for me was when LinkedIn suggested a contact who I recognized as a woman with whom I had one date via OKCupid. How'd that connection happen? (Yeah, I figure OKCupid sold the data to LinkedIn. Not happy about that.)

3 alternatives and more likely routes:
1. browser cookies or the app equivalent - accessed by linkedin
2. 3rd party trackers - install something like ghostery and you'll find dozens of companies watching most web page activity.
3. You don't need to have a Facebook account for facebook to track and share your browsing history. Other lessor known marketing companies do it to.
https://www.recode.net/2018/4/20/17...les-data-collection-non-users-mark-zuckerberg
If you googled the OKCupid info, game over.

 

[joeea]

I called and made a dinner reservation. They asked for my phone number which I begrudgingly gave. Within seconds, she said, Joe Midpack? - with my actual first and last name!!! After I hung up I told DW I was a little spooked. A few minutes later, I got an email confirming our reservation!

I’m bewildered and disappointed they instantly had my name and email address from my phone number.

Spend a few minutes using your favorite search engine. Then perhaps you won't be as surprised when you learn about reverse phone lookups.

Nothing new here.

And if this is a restaurant you have patronized before, they likely have lots more information stored.

 

[joeea]

We changed our phone number due to spoofing.

It's not clear what you mean by "spoofing" in this context, nor what you are expecting to accomplish by changing your phone number.