Context: I’m googling advice on referencing, and the AI overview takes it upon itself to suggest templates of how to reference (helpful, I guess) - but then it uses my exact university and it just makes your skin crawl because it really drives home how much you’re being watched. By machines.
Dunno if this helps you, but in web pages AFAIK the tracking usually comes from javascripts running in that particular page. Google, Facebook, etc. If you allow those to run, then such services can track you in various ways.
I run uMatrix to specifically allow only the JS’s I want to run, and of course, some of the ad-blocker extensions should do similar, I think.
Damn. That’s creepy. Have you considered using alternative search engines? Startpage? Kagi? DDG?
Oh, I just went “full 5 bucks a month” into Kagi - it is great, I haven’t used a useful (non-ai-first) websearch for a while
How does Startpage compare to DDG?
Looks nicer, has a significantly easier to recommend name. “You want me to do what with a duck?” Startpage’s name is more intuitive.
Is there any difference in the quality of the search results?
I felt like they were very similar in my very anecdotal, and only a few months each experience with them.
These days I am using Ecosia, as it has similar still search, like the others it also claims not to sell my search and personal info, and supposedly they plant more trees / do more environmental stuff if more people use Ecosia, so I figured why not. Seems fine so far.
It’s not AI, it’s just regular tracking surfacing to your face. Your IP address alone allows pinpointing you down to few km radius. But there are way more advanced techniques with profiling ect.
TLDR: Use VPN and privacy oriented browser + privacy oriented email.
Only creepy because they’ve taken off the mask now. They were stalking you before, they just were more quiet about it.
The HOT SINGLES IN YOUR AREA weren’t subtle about it.
