Windows 7 - Google ads getting creepier

I've been advising those seeking to Clean up factory bloatware or Clean Reinstall Windows 7 to avoid any installed Google apps and especially Google Updater as these are pernicious spyware which track your searches and paste ads everywhere you go based on what you search.

And it's getting creepier: After mentioning in an email yesterday that I am going to use a gift card at Olive Garden for two separate lunches, I have been getting big display ads next to my inbox from Olive Garden. Creepier yet is that the items displayed are for the amount of half my gift card which is what I told the giver I plan to spend at lunch.

You don't have to be paranoid to see that this is some of the creepiest Big Brother activity the web has to offer. They apparently can now parse your text to find out what you're planning then paste ads based on your day-to-day plans.

I've got no installed Google apps, no Google pages (including Youtube) which I remain signed into that I'm aware, so supposedly they shouldn't be able to track me unless they've planted a cookie. I clean the cookies and the ads remain, everywhere I go, ads for what I've been searching or even discussing.

Since we know they scan the forums in real time, I wonder if they draw their bead on me here and have associated me with my other email and searches.

Thank you for the information, Greg.

I like to travel and often search for motels, restaurants etc at the location that I plan to visit. Very often, I begin to get spam from that location for restaurants, motels and attractions. I hope that the readers of this thread take our warnings seriously and exercise utmost caution when using the net.

While ad blocking discussion is against forum rules, opting out of "Interest based ads" is not.

If you want to stop all of the ad agency's showing you ads relevant to content that you have been viewing anywhere on the Internet then you can opt out here - Network Advertising Initiative

Thanks, John. It seems I have cookies from most of those agencies even though I've just cleaned them this morning. I think I'll opt out of Google to see what happens.

I've never blocked ads as I actually don't mind ads as the price paid for free services, and the software has slowed others' browsers and systems to the point I won't support it. But I get creeped out by the tracking getting into my business so intimately it's apparently now reading my email.

Google also serves ads from many 3rd party agency's that also use interest based ads, I think you would need to opt out of the entire list for them to stop.

Also remember that the opt out is a cookie, so it's only good until you do a clean out.

Thanks for the information, I will give it a try, now.

Same here, and thanks again!

(Hi Rich!)

I keep cookies under control by deleting them when closing my browser & I also have refuse all third party cookies set.
Opera, Chrome & Firefox also allow you to block cookies completely on individual sites.
Cookie control in IE 9 seems a bit primitive by comparison.

Anyone interested in controlling cookies & privacy online should visit
http://www.thefilterbubble.com/10-things-you-can-do

I use CookieWall ... you can choose how you keep cookies in the app's add/remove section. You would be surprised how many cookies will pop up from just one link!

Network Downloads : CookieWall /// AnalogX

Been looking for something like this. Thank you.