I bought two items via desktop computer from an online merchant using
Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came due, I didn't have to
login. My Pixel 8a is never involved in direct online transactions
(except for PayPal verification), so I suspect Google Chrome "knew"
about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome somehow did the login to PayPal.

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JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online
merchant using Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came
due, I didn't have to login. My Pixel 8a is never involved in
direct online transactions (except for PayPal verification),
so I suspect Google Chrome "knew" about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome
somehow did the login to PayPal.

Google knows everything!

That's why some of us do our best to avoid them, where possible.

Unfortunately in 2024 it's very hard to avoid Google completely
... they are like The Matrix!

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On Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:30:37 GMT, "Blueshirt" <blueshirt@indigo.news>
wrote:

Google knows everything!

By mid 1990s, ISPs were selling our data (name, address, email
address, etc), which was used for building an email database, and I
suspect also for marketing.

I know of one business that uses an email database to determine who
you are.

Yes, Google makes money from law enforcement requests, I sure. And of
course, from ad revenue.

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On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online merchant using
Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came due, I didn't have to
login. My Pixel 8a is never involved in direct online transactions
(except for PayPal verification), so I suspect Google Chrome "knew"
about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome somehow did the login to PayPal.

It's your own fault for relying on spyware. I would never touch anything
google related with a 10 ft pole. I use ff, reluctantly pay with a card
and never save any data. If I feel naughty I also like to send a few gdpr complaints asking the companies to remove all my data for the fun of it.
=D

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On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online
merchant using Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came
due, I didn't have to login. My Pixel 8a is never involved in
direct online transactions (except for PayPal verification),
so I suspect Google Chrome "knew" about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome
somehow did the login to PayPal.

Google knows everything!

That's why some of us do our best to avoid them, where possible.

Unfortunately in 2024 it's very hard to avoid Google completely
... they are like The Matrix!

You are a wise man!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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D wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online
merchant using Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came
due, I didn't have to login. My Pixel 8a is never involved
in direct online transactions (except for PayPal
verification), so I suspect Google Chrome "knew" about my
Pixel 8a, so Chrome somehow did the login to PayPal.

Google knows everything!

That's why some of us do our best to avoid them, where
possible.

Unfortunately in 2024 it's very hard to avoid Google
completely ... they are like The Matrix!

You are a wise man!

If something is free - YOU are the product! So I try and limit
my exposure to that sort of thing with a paid for encrypted
e-mail service, plus I use e-mail aliases when I sign up to
things. I also use TOR to browse the Internet. Google have their
grubby little tentacles all over the Internet so I don't like to
make it easy for them...

You can never completely escape the Matrix though!

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On Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:42:28 -0500, Auric Hellman
<adhellman1@gmail.com> wrote:

Google Pixel 7 phone

To stop your Pixel 7 from listening, you can:

Turn off microphone access

Open Settings

Tap Security & privacy
Open the Privacy dropdown menu
Select Privacy controls
Toggle the Microphone access switch to turn permission off

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On Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:42:28 -0500, Auric Hellman
<adhellman1@gmail.com> wrote:

I do know ads pop up on my phone and laptop
for whatever I may be discussing that day.

In earlier Gmail days, this would happen...I haven't seen this in
years.

I use a cellphone for mainly telephone service. A flip for daily
usage, and a smart for trips. Nothing to see here...except phone
calls.

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On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Auric Hellman wrote:

On 12/23/2024 4:27 PM, D wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online merchant using
Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came due, I didn't have to
login. My Pixel 8a is never involved in direct online transactions
(except for PayPal verification), so I suspect Google Chrome "knew"
about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome somehow did the login to PayPal.

It's your own fault for relying on spyware. I would never touch anything
google related with a 10 ft pole. I use ff, reluctantly pay with a card and >> never save any data. If I feel naughty I also like to send a few gdpr
complaints asking the companies to remove all my data for the fun of it. =D

I use a Google Pixel 7 phone and it records every word it hears. Sometimes you can read what is being said as it's being said. Can't figure out how to stop it (I can temporarily but not permanently) and don't know what it does with the data it collects. I do know ads pop up on my phone and laptop for whatever I may be discussing that day.

Shudder! How can you live like that? I recommend this phone:

https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_110_4g-10965.php

It works great! =) Note that they can still triangulate you, but it won't
send them any data from apps.

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On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

D wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online
merchant using Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came
due, I didn't have to login. My Pixel 8a is never involved
in direct online transactions (except for PayPal
verification), so I suspect Google Chrome "knew" about my
Pixel 8a, so Chrome somehow did the login to PayPal.

Google knows everything!

That's why some of us do our best to avoid them, where
possible.

Unfortunately in 2024 it's very hard to avoid Google
completely ... they are like The Matrix!

You are a wise man!

If something is free - YOU are the product! So I try and limit
my exposure to that sort of thing with a paid for encrypted
e-mail service, plus I use e-mail aliases when I sign up to

Me too! It brings me much joy and freedom! On the other hand, it saddens
me that the people I email have google, so on the other end I get caught
in their machinery. ;)

I do have an old hotmail address I used for signing up to nonsense, it has about 20k spam messages at the moment, and it gives me pleasure to waste a
tiny amount of Microsofts resources with that account. =D

things. I also use TOR to browse the Internet. Google have their
grubby little tentacles all over the Internet so I don't like to
make it easy for them...

You can never completely escape the Matrix though!

I use privacy badger and ublock origin and ff, and that's about it for me
when browsing regular sites. Oh, and I never use google but ddg or startpage.com instead.

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On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, JAB wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:42:28 -0500, Auric Hellman
<adhellman1@gmail.com> wrote:

I do know ads pop up on my phone and laptop
for whatever I may be discussing that day.

In earlier Gmail days, this would happen...I haven't seen this in
years.

I use a cellphone for mainly telephone service. A flip for daily

You are a wise man!

usage, and a smart for trips. Nothing to see here...except phone
calls.

Dump the smart for trips. What I do is that I print out directions on
paper for where I want to go and what I want to see. That way, I don't
need a phone when travelling! =)

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D wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

D wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online
merchant using Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment
came due, I didn't have to login. My Pixel 8a is never
involved in direct online transactions (except for
PayPal verification), so I suspect Google Chrome
"knew" about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome somehow did the
login to PayPal.

Google knows everything!

That's why some of us do our best to avoid them, where
possible.

Unfortunately in 2024 it's very hard to avoid Google
completely ... they are like The Matrix!

You are a wise man!

If something is free - YOU are the product! So I try and
limit my exposure to that sort of thing with a paid for
encrypted e-mail service, plus I use e-mail aliases when I
sign up to

Me too! It brings me much joy and freedom! On the other hand,
it saddens me that the people I email have google, so on the
other end I get caught in their machinery. ;)

That's why you can never completely escape the Matrix, as the
world and their dog seem to have G-Mail addresses... so they're
gonna get you at that end.

I do have an old hotmail address I used for signing up to
nonsense, it has about 20k spam messages at the moment, and it
gives me pleasure to waste a tiny amount of Microsofts
resources with that account. =D

I remember Hotmail from 20+ years ago... I think I used to get
more spam than actual messages from people!

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On Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:55:16 GMT, "Blueshirt" <blueshirt@indigo.news>
wrote:

That's why you can never completely escape the Matrix

Government's function these days is to know their "customers."

Big Brother knows about your details....in one way, or another. Unless
a person does cash only, and uses others' ISPs, then BB knows only a
few details, if they report their income to BB.

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On Tue, 24 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

D wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

D wrote:

On Mon, 23 Dec 2024, Blueshirt wrote:

JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online
merchant using Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment
came due, I didn't have to login. My Pixel 8a is never
involved in direct online transactions (except for
PayPal verification), so I suspect Google Chrome
"knew" about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome somehow did the
login to PayPal.

Google knows everything!

That's why some of us do our best to avoid them, where
possible.

Unfortunately in 2024 it's very hard to avoid Google
completely ... they are like The Matrix!

You are a wise man!

If something is free - YOU are the product! So I try and
limit my exposure to that sort of thing with a paid for
encrypted e-mail service, plus I use e-mail aliases when I
sign up to

Me too! It brings me much joy and freedom! On the other hand,
it saddens me that the people I email have google, so on the
other end I get caught in their machinery. ;)

That's why you can never completely escape the Matrix, as the
world and their dog seem to have G-Mail addresses... so they're
gonna get you at that end.

There are ways around it. For instance you can send them a link to the
message hosted on your own server, but few people have the patience for
that. ;)

I do have an old hotmail address I used for signing up to
nonsense, it has about 20k spam messages at the moment, and it
gives me pleasure to waste a tiny amount of Microsofts
resources with that account. =D

I remember Hotmail from 20+ years ago... I think I used to get
more spam than actual messages from people!

Yes, it is a wonderful spam magnet! ;)

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On Tue, 24 Dec 2024 23:04:15 -0500, Auric Hellman
<adhellman1@gmail.com> wrote:

Will I still be able to use speaker phone?

I'm not familiar with Pixel's menus, and I grabbed that info via AI
speak.

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On 12/23/2024 2:30 PM, Blueshirt wrote:

JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online
merchant using Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came
due, I didn't have to login. My Pixel 8a is never involved in
direct online transactions (except for PayPal verification),
so I suspect Google Chrome "knew" about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome
somehow did the login to PayPal.

Google knows everything!

That's why some of us do our best to avoid them, where possible.

Unfortunately in 2024 it's very hard to avoid Google completely
... they are like The Matrix!

I don't Google-anything, Alphabet is avoided like the plague. The
closest I come is using Youtube (not signed in) or e-mailing people with
@gmail addresses.

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On Wed, 25 Dec 2024, Michael Trew wrote:

On 12/23/2024 2:30 PM, Blueshirt wrote:

JAB wrote:

I bought two items via desktop computer from an online
merchant using Google Chrome, and when PayPal payment came
due, I didn't have to login. My Pixel 8a is never involved in
direct online transactions (except for PayPal verification),
so I suspect Google Chrome "knew" about my Pixel 8a, so Chrome
somehow did the login to PayPal.

Google knows everything!

That's why some of us do our best to avoid them, where possible.

Unfortunately in 2024 it's very hard to avoid Google completely
... they are like The Matrix!

I don't Google-anything, Alphabet is avoided like the plague. The closest I come is using Youtube (not signed in) or e-mailing people with @gmail addresses.

I recommend freetube. It's a local skin that interfaces with youtube. I
imagine that it shields you from some of their tentacles. I'm happy with
it. If I want to watch something on my laptop while travelling or on my
tv, I use yt-dlp to download anything I want to watch later offline.

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On Wed, 25 Dec 2024 12:24:16 -0500, Michael Trew
<michael.trew@att.net> wrote:

The
closest I come is using Youtube (not signed in)

I rather suspect Youtube has "device fingerprinted" your setup, but I
know nothing about if Youtube sells this data to tracking vendors.

Any website can get various details, see below cite, and when shared
with those tracking users across websites, bingo, they know something
about you.

BrowserLeaks is a suite of tools that offers a range of tests to
evaluate the security and privacy of your web browser. https://browserleaks.com/

How Websites and Apps Collect and Use Your Information https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-websites-and-apps-collect-and-use-your-information

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On Wed, 25 Dec 2024 23:10:01 +0100, D <nospam@example.net> wrote:

I recommend freetube.

I think Michael is using Win 7

FreeTube is a YouTube client for Windows (10 and later), Mac (macOS
10.15 and later), and Linux built around using YouTube more privately. https://freetubeapp.io/

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On Wed, 25 Dec 2024, JAB wrote:

On Wed, 25 Dec 2024 23:10:01 +0100, D <nospam@example.net> wrote:

I recommend freetube.

I think Michael is using Win 7

FreeTube is a YouTube client for Windows (10 and later), Mac (macOS
10.15 and later), and Linux built around using YouTube more privately. https://freetubeapp.io/

Oh, what a shame. =( There's invidious as well, but those instances are
kind of hit and miss. Some work, some don't. =/

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