How did the Ad Networks find my search? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) by Tenderizer78@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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So a bit ago I got an add for "canned rambutan". I had looked up Rambutan a few days prior after hearing it mentioned 10 hours into the video game Baby Steps. I wasn't using a VPN at the time and I didn't have fingerprinting protections active but I only mentioned it to a few sources (according to my browser history) all of which generally are implied to be private.

Which of these do you think is the reason the ad networks know?

Wikipedia
Startpage Search
Duckduckgo Search
My ISP
Firefox
My Firefox Extensions
Kubuntu
CachyOS
The omnipotent algorithm connecting my mentions of Baby Steps with my progress through the game.
Does this only make sense if my browser history is incomplete?
Maybe I was using DNS over HTTPS via Cloudflare at the time of my search.

Any guesses as to where the weak link is?

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[-] Cyberflunk@lemmy.world 12 points 11 hours ago

well, it would make no fucking difference if you had a vpn on, ALL IT DOES IS MOVE YOUR EXIT POINT. it cannot touch your browser traffic.

frustrates me to bo end the bullshit fucking ads/lies vpn companies peddle

[-] Tenderizer78@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 hours ago

If my exit point is my ISP, and my ISP is selling my data to advertisers (hypothetically), then a VPN would make a difference. That's why I mentioned it.

[-] bananabread@lemmy.zip 1 points 10 hours ago

A vpn is just another isp, which could also sell your data

[-] Skankhunt420@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 hours ago

I would trust Mullvad more than Verizon or ATT to not sell my data.

Wouldn't you?

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this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2025

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