Here I am, reading DU when something disconcerting happened...

[TXPaganBanker]

Here I am, sitting at my laptop, reading.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1SbkSFoyf7_k1ljzKMbSomtol0gi9H0Ws

I've not googled anything related to my shirt, nor spoken about the company, nor posted anything online about my clothing choice for the day and it's content.

Within 15 minutes, these 2 ads pop up on DU.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fzcIuG2XOFyIC6mPsBZ7FcFNlU923Znr
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ULTA1CyF-oHx_Xq0SsS0pmvFASuZhA4e

Call me paranoid, but I don't believe in that much of a coincidence.

[TXPaganBanker]

1. Sorry about it being links

I haven't quite figured out the "Get pics onto DU" function yet.

[Ms. Toad]

2. Did you buy the shirt online?

Google it on a different day?

[TXPaganBanker]

3. Nope

Bought it in-store when they opened their Dallas location more than 4 months ago.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Here's the link from the Photo group which shows you how to post photos:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/103659987

[TXPaganBanker]

5. Thanks (NFT)

[TXPaganBanker]

6. Whoop! Going big time!

They've moved it up to the banner.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OyI1RtsjXhp17OiuQmXxFOePyBf0j9PK

[Ohiya]

7. I put a piece of electrical tape over the camera...

and everybody thinks I'm crazy.

[bitterross]

9. I don't think you're crazy at all.

I don't think you need a tin-foil hat either.

I'm an IT tech. It's not difficult to run commands to turn on things on people's computers. You have to get to them somehow first but that's not as tough as you think.

[ecstatic]

13. oh. 100%. All my laptop cams are covered, but not on my phone.

I'm hoping I won't ever have to go that far. lol

[Squinch]

8. That is truly creepy. I keep my camera covered, though I don't know how much good that does.

This stuff is getting to be too much.

[rickford66]

10. Consumer tracking algorithms

Somewhere there's a record of you buying something and there's also s/w tracking your browsing. Sophisticated s/w puts 2 and 2 together and you get the ad. I don't get ads like that on DU since I pay the $10. Funny thing ... like many men I watch a little porn, but I never get porn ads. Maybe they "are" out to get you.

[Rustynaerduwell]

11. Here's what happened to me.

My brother slid his car on some ice and skidded into a ditch. Somehow my mother's walker was damaged when the car was pulled out. It was in the trunk. The car itself sustained no damage. We decided she needed a new walker. We discussed this face to face. No texts. No phone. When I got home and turned my computer on, the first ad I saw was from ebay. It featured a four wheeled walker for sale. Just like my mother's.

[ecstatic]

12. Your searches from your phone and all other places tend

to get mingled in together. I know our phones *listen,* but if they're now capturing video, that's a whole 'nother ball game. I don't think we're there yet.

[TXPaganBanker]

14. I've been using my phone all day

and nothing funny happened. It started about 15 minutes after I sat down at my computer.

[ecstatic]

15. If I were you, I'd do a thorough virus and malware scan. There might be some rogue adware capturing

pics. If Window's defender doesn't catch it, then you might need to do a trial of Malwarebytes or something. Clean all your caches, cookies, etc on all your browsers as well. Good luck!