Windows 11 virus, cookie or other

[Peterr]

If I ask Google how many computer companies are a certain nationality, a bit later I get an email regarding that topic. Does that mean I am being monitored? Coincidentally, I am also getting tons of spam.
It is too much of a coincidence that it is by chance.

 

[Neemobeer]

Other than cookie there are a lot of reasons this could be occurring. Chance of malware is low especially if their end game is spam campaigns

 

[ussnorway]

Yes it means you are being monitored / tracked by Google (amongst others) but spam levels can be lowered without assuming worst case senarios

Sent from my Nokia X20 using Windows Forums mobile app

 

[Peterr]

Yes it means you are being monitored / tracked by Google (amongst others) but spam levels can be lowered without assuming worst case senarios

Sent from my Nokia X20 using Windows Forums mobile app

Please give me an example of how I could be traced and how I can prevent it

 

[Neemobeer]

Any type of rewards program, that data is likely sold to data brokers.
Many websites send data about you to companies like Facebook even if you don't have an account and can potentially identify you
Tracking pixels and images in lots of sites send usage data about you
Data breaches
Going to the doctor's
Being alive

Even if you didn't own or use a computer you'd still likely be trackable

 

[Peterr]

So if I Google "security" I may get an email or text to be sent to me regarding that subject as normal and not necessarily malware?

 

[ussnorway]

the phone, gas, school and medical are all online and normally pretty simple to get access to + the gov tracks [tax, votes, licence and fines] - they don't normally actually sell this info like Google but they also don't put any real effort into keeping it private

most people with a phone have recording of their voice stored asking questions or just random talking their phone recorded incase you asked it a question... in special cases individuals are tracked like russan generals being killed because their mobile phones give away their location to sniper teams but on the whole its just worthless junk being stored by dum people because they can get away with it

 

[Peterr]

r u a vet or active? I am disabled vet and curious about ussnorway