Google Has a Creepy Secret Page That Tracks Your (Online and Offline) Shopping History

[David]

Google tracks a lot of what you buy, even if you purchased it elsewhere, like in a store or from Amazon.

Last week, CEO Sundar Pichai wrote a New York Times op-ed that said “privacy cannot be a luxury good.” But behind the scenes, Google is still collecting a lot of personal information from the services you use, such as Gmail, and some of it can’t be easily deleted.

A page called “Purchases ” shows an accurate list of many — though not all — of the things I’ve bought dating back to at least 2012. I made these purchases using online services or apps such as Amazon, DoorDash or Seamless, or in stores such as Macy’s, but never directly through Google.

Google uses Gmail to track a history of things you buy — and it's hard to delete

Google collects the purchases you've made, including from other stores and sites such as Amazon, and saves them on a page called Purchases.

www.cnbc.com

I looked at my Purchase History and it really is CREEPY. I had been over their privacy settings many times over the years and never did I see this.

This is the link: https://myaccount.google.com/purchases

They have a history of many things I purchased going back years. Basically, anything purchased via Google and any receipt you received in your GMail account. what really sucks is that the only apparent way to delete the receipt from their records is to delete the corresponding Gmail message --- great.

Time to ditch GMail other than for daily bullshit.

P.S. They also seem to track any URL that you click on that is contained in a GMail message

 

[GWguy]

My Purchases was empty, but I do not use my gmail account for anything. I only have it because I pretty much had to create one for my Android phone for many of the apps to work.

 

[David]

The real stinker is that there is no way to disable it. The only reason they would possibly do this is to monetize it, i.e. sell you something or sell your interests to someone else so they can sell you something. And don't forget the Mark of the Beast computer system out there that is build a dossier on everyone. China has one too --- their Social Media score system (you bad person? You no fly or get apt or car loan) --- they are just more open about it.

I've secured private email to handle all of my financial transactions.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Want creepy? Looks at your Google Activity and it'll show you where you've been, search results, everything.

 

[RareBreed]

My Purchases was empty, but I do not use my gmail account for anything. I only have it because I pretty much had to create one for my Android phone for many of the apps to work.

Mine was also empty but I delete any email once I receive the item. Only reason I have a gmail account is because I don't want my kids finding out purchases for birthdays or Christmas ahead of time. Everything else goes to a different account.

 

[GWguy]

I get creeped out when I do a Google search on my laptop, then open my phone to do a different search, and see my laptop searches on the phone.

 

[David]

Looks at your Google Activity and it'll show you where you've been, search results, everything.

I have those disabled (they call it "paused"). They may still have the info, but at least they let me believe they don't

 

[Kyle]

It had very few of my purchases and everything in activity is empty and set to paused.

It also had an incorrect purchase of a tree stand that I did not make.

 

[TCROW]

What, there are people who thought you were getting a “free” email account?

Guaranteed that the ways in which you’d be spied on was precisely laid out in the TOS. Didn’t read them? YOUR FAULT.

There are precisely two ways to keep your email private: pay for a service with terms spelled out or run your own email server and know how to keep it secure.

When you get something free of charge, understand that YOU are the product.

 

[vraiblonde]

Mine was also empty but I delete any email once I receive the item.

Me too. I buy a crap ton of stuff online and always use my Gmail account for personal business, yet Google is not showing any purchases for me.

 

[TCROW]

The real stinker is that there is no way to disable it. The only reason they would possibly do this is to monetize it, i.e. sell you something or sell your interests to someone else so they can sell you something.

In other words, do exactly what they tell you they were going to do, right?

 

[Kyle]

I have those disabled (they call it "paused"). They may still have the info, but at least they let me believe they don't

I opted to parse through it and there was very little listed.

 

[GWguy]

So, putting on my tin foil hat...... Google monitors web pages. The fact that we posted here about this, will the bots now "discover us" ?

 

[GURPS]

I looked at my Purchase History and it really is CREEPY.

mine contains little real information ..... my Amazon Account however

but purchase tracking explains why I get adds on Facebook for something I already just purchased

WTF Facebook I just BOUGHT that widget I don't need adds for 5 more

 

[GURPS]

Pro функционал, донат 2 (База знаний для WoT)





I'm a Russian Bot

 

[Kyle]

Pro функционал, донат 2 (База знаний для WoT)





I'm a Russian Bot

Roy Batty felt that way at first.

 

[vraiblonde]

but purchase tracking explains why I get adds on Facebook for something I already just purchased

It's not picking up your purchases, it's picking up the cookie from when you looked at the product. That's why it doesn't know that you already made the purchase.

 

[David]

I really wouldn't mind if their systems used some information, like cookies, and things I searched for to recommend ads appropriate to my interests. However, information is power. And whenever certain people see a powerful weapon they can use, they're going to appropriate it. and it's always the slippery slope and putting the frog in the pot and slowly bringing the water to a boil approach. The government inevitable starts out with excuses like, "we're using it to catch the bad guys." Who can argue against that? (People who have seen this movie before, that's who.) Look back to life just 20 years ago vs now...

 

[GURPS]

I really wouldn't mind if their systems used some information, like cookies,

remember that scene in minority report where 'the system' scanned Tom Cruise 'replacement eyes' when he walked into The Gap

'welcome back Mr Yakamoto'

 

[David]

remember that scene in minority report where 'the system' scanned Tom Cruise 'replacement eyes' when he walked into The Gap

Yeah, I think I'll draw the line at scanning my browser cookies. Anyone who thinks face scanning is a good idea definitely is a sociopath, or at least has those tendencies.