Google follows me

[Nickelodeon]

Can someone answer a question for me in layman's terms.

I notice that when I browse on Firefox, that various sites I've visited or searched appear as pop up ads when I visit other sites with pop up ads (eg. YouTube, Toronto Star, etc.)

This tells me that google or Firefox (?) is tracking my on-line behavior and then sending me ads on stuff from sights I've visited and may be interested in buying stuff from.

Interesting, I never get porn ads appearing although I troll porn sites like other here. Why not? Are they doing this to protect themselves...they know I've been there.

And if I use the privacy search option on Firefox, I think I lose the convenience of the porn site remembering my ID and password.

What do others do to protect their privacy here?

 

[oleman]

yeah in spite of the occassional little ads saying it's so, Google is not your friend. Its a business relationship. we and our clicks are a commodity, and Google is a broker.
I use private browsing in Firefox too, and yes I have to sign in each time. Privacy comes with a cost, it seems. But its not that private, since just starting to type the name of a site brings up that site as a suggestion. If my wife wanted to know if I was looking at porn or craigslist, she'd just have to type an 'E' for empornium, or a 'C' for craigslist.

 

[MyHobbyist]

Welcome to online marketing in 2012. They are getting smarter and smarter and know exaclty where you are surfing and what you are clicking. it will only get worse