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Originally release in November 2019.

A single recliner ad jumped from a late‑night browse to a Facebook feed in minutes—and that one moment cracked open a bigger story about how our choices are tracked, merged, and sold. We follow that thread from living‑room shopping to the mechanics of cross‑device identity, data brokers, and real‑time ad auctions. No scare tactics, just clear language and firsthand moments that show why “they must be listening” feels true even when algorithms are doing most of the work.

We rewind to the early days of RSS, clunky banner ads, and the fight to bring Wi‑Fi to public spaces to explain how we landed here. The past reveals a pattern: tech outpaces institutions, and leaders often don’t speak the language needed to set guardrails. That gap fuels modern privacy risks and shapes public debates on encryption, law enforcement access, and the role private companies play in gathering more behavioral data than any government office ever could. You’ll hear how gaming sessions can silently drive ad shifts, why Cambridge Analytica still matters, and how probability—not microphones—can make platforms feel psychic.

We keep it practical and human. You’ll get doable steps to reduce tracking—reset IDs, limit ACR on TVs, separate browsers for shopping, rein in app permissions—without turning your life upside down. And we share a moment of choosing family over platforms, because attention is the scarcest resource we have. If you’ve ever wondered why the internet seems to know what you want before you do, this conversation connects the dots and hands you the tools to push back.

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