How does this work then?

[Greg Masters]

I go onto a specific website to browse or buy a product.

When I open my eBay page, adverts for that same website appear.

Are they dipping into my cookies to see where I've been?

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

Yep. The cookie will be from something like adsense so when you go to another site that uses the same you get adverts. Amazon is really bad for it. You could use something like adblocker and or disconnect.

 

[Greg Masters]

Yep. The cookie will be from something like adsense so when you go to another site that uses the same you get adverts. Amazon is really bad for it. You could use something like adblocker and or disconnect.

Bastids!

 

[Engineer]

Beware they are watching your every move on the Internet and then storing the information ready to pass to the authorities when asked.

 

[Bear]

It sounds just like the adverts I see here after Mrs Bear uses Google to find travel companies.

 

[Fanum]

Not only are they dipping into your cookies, but they will also be leeching pennies (or tenths of pennies) by planting an affiliate ID number on you.......anything you go on to buy, they get a percentage of if their cookie is identified.

It comes from the profits of the vendor rather than being added to your cost, but it's the reason there are so many tens of thousands of comparison sites, and how they make their money.

 

[Redboots]

Amazon is really bad for it.

as is feckin' facebook

You could use something like adblocker and or disconnect.

Or just use the MVPS HOSTS file (as a start).
Make the HOSTS file read only afterwards though, there are some sneaky gits out there that like to mod that as well.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

You could just block cookies or use incognito/private browsing. It's useful for loads more than surfing porn ;-)