How the Hell Did Facebook Know I Added a PS5 to My Amazon Cart?” — The Data Horror Story - Opt out and how to avoid it

Don't forget to follow to keep yourself updated with AI, security and some motivational stories. I am moody so the stories change based on my mood from romance to thriller to motivation.

How the Hell Did Facebook Know I Added a PS5 to My Amazon Cart?” — The Data Horror Story

Does it know what all sites I visit?

You’re casually scrolling through Facebook or YouTube—maybe it’s just past midnight. Brain’s half asleep. And bam: an ad pops up for that PS5 you just dropped into your Amazon cart. No, they’re not mind-readers… they’re way better.

Here’s the late-night truth: your Amazon, Facebook, and YouTube apps are part of a creepy data web. It’s like they’re whispering secrets about you in some secret midnight gossip circle.

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First Act: The Legend of the PS5 Spy

So a fellow blogger—let’s call him Robert—comments on my post and says:

“I was teetering on the brink of contacting Pegasus… The weird thing is that all these adverts for Pegasus … have only been turning up in my inbox since I put the work on KDP … how do they know? Is it somehow to do with cookies on my PC?? Strange….”

He’s convinced its cookies giving away his secrets—like the devil in the midnight snack machine.

And I being an arrogant software engineer who knows all couldn't resist from refuting it and saying cookies are for session management and not data tracking. It helps apps to identify you as a person, and the data leak is most probably happening from this apps sharing your data in the background. Although, I was right, Robert was not wrong as well.

In fact, my explanation itself had communicated how cookies were able to help ad agencies know who Robert was. OfCourse, I deleted my comment back to Robert once I realized my stupidity. 

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Second Act: What Amazon and Facebook Actually Do with Your Data

Let’s peek behind the curtain (I will also let you know how to opt out of some):

Amazon Shares Behavioral Data—but Not Names
Amazon says they don’t sell your name, email, or direct identifiers. Cute. But they do allow “behavioral retargeting”: showing ads based on what’s in your cart or browsing history. This might be what you are thinking but this goes far beyond it. I will explain this in detail later. The Guardian.

They also let tracking “tags” from Facebook or Google sync with your activity, basically rebuilding your digital soul from scratch. The Guardian.

Fun fact: This is partly why I created my own pdf reader—so at least the stuff you read in a PDF doesn’t get uploaded into some marketer’s spreadsheet. More on the website

Opt out — But they do allow “behavioral retargeting” (more on this later): using your browsing or cart activity to show relevant ads—sometimes on other platforms Amazon The Guardian.

Amazon-Facebook Data Link: You Make It Voluntary… But Subtle

Meta and Amazon now let you opt-in to account linking. If you connect Facebook/Instagram with Amazon, you may get real-time Prime pricing, product details, even the ability to buy directly without leaving the apps MediaPost.

That also means Amazon’s shopping data and Meta’s ads tools whisper sweet nothings to each other. It’s like letting guests into your house… without reading the fine print.

Alexa: The Crime Solver

Forget about Alexa—that’s another universe entirely. How does Alexa know when I’m going to say the wake word without listening to everything? Does it analyze the word locally or on the backend? Do they log every conversation? Was it really used as evidence to solve a crime? That rabbit hole deserves its own post.

Amazon’s Ad Policies vs. Real-World Behavior

Officially, Amazon forbids sharing user data outside of approved, confidential partners, and disallows advertisers from using Amazon data to do personalized retargeting unless you explicitly consent. Amazon Ads Developer Portal Master

And yet—news shows Amazon is busy cracking down on shady third-party apps. One developer even built a tool that let sellers upload customer data to Facebook to run “lookalike audience” ads. Amazon shut it down WIRED

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Third Act: “But I Didn’t Give Permission!” — The Open Secret

So, you will see many posts like this on Reddit. 

What folks feel:

“I searched some water filters on Amazon… then saw the same ad on Facebook five days later… I am terrified.”

There’s no direct evidence Amazon sold your data to Facebook. Instead, what’s more likely is that tracking tags and cookies across platforms—plus behavioral ad networks—allow advertisers to remarket products you interacted with. The Guardian.

In short: your actions on Amazon echo across the internet, like a ghost whispering to advertisers. 

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Final Act: Why Secure Apps and Privacy Matter (And What to Do About It)

Why this matters:

1. Your behavior is currency. Even without your name, your digital footprint sells—across platforms.

2. Perceived anonymity is a myth. Pseudonymized ≠ private. When Amazon or Meta stitch your actions together, they know you.

3. You deserve transparency. These giants shape your digital experience using invisible data threads.

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Reflection:

You thought the PS5 ad was just uncanny luck? No. It’s the product of a surveillance circus you didn’t fully RSVP to. It’s not scary—it’s business.

But here’s the thing: knowing how the game is played gives back your power. You are not data—you're a person. And secure apps? They’re not just code—they're the gatekeepers of your digital soul.

If you want can give this app a try and check out the website, feel free to do the same.

So what’s your move? Keep scrolling unknowingly... or put your privacy glasses on and call bullshit?

AI-Powered Proofreading: Grammarly Alternatives, Quillbot, Hemingway & More for Smarter Writing

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AI-Powered Proofreading: Tools That Save Time (and Your Sanity)

Confession time: proofreading is my least favorite part of writing. You spend hours crafting a masterpiece, and then—bam—you notice you spelled “definitely” as “definately” for the fifth time. Nothing kills your creative flow faster.

That’s where AI proofreading tools come in. Over the years I’ve tried them all — Grammarly, Hemingway, ProWritingAid, Quillbot, even those random browser extensions that promise to “fix everything.” Spoiler: some are lifesavers, others are like that one friend who overcorrects your grammar in group chats.

This post isn’t just a list. It’s my hands-on take on the best AI writing assistants, how to use them, and where they secretly shine (or fail).

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Grammarly: The Popular Kid (Who’s a Bit Overbearing)

Let’s start with Grammarly because, well, everyone does. It’s the most well-known AI proofreading app and for good reason.

What’s great:

• Real-time grammar and spelling checks.

• Tone detection (yes, it will tell you if you sound passive-aggressive).

• Browser + Word + Gmail integration = lifesaver.

What’s annoying:

• It sometimes butchers creative writing. If you write fiction or humor, Grammarly wants you to sound like a corporate lawyer.

• It over-obsesses with Oxford commas.

👉 Insider Tip: Use Grammarly as your first pass, not your last. Accept the fixes for typos and missing commas. Ignore the “make this more formal” suggestion unless you’re actually writing to your boss.

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Hemingway Editor: The Brutal Truth Teller

If Grammarly is your polite teacher, Hemingway is the gym coach yelling at you to run faster.

How it works: It highlights long sentences in yellow and red, then calls out passive voice like it’s a crime.

My experience:

• The first time I used it, half my blog post turned blood-red. My ego has never recovered.

• It forces you to simplify. After running text through Hemingway, you’ll suddenly realize how often you write like you swallowed a cat. No idea why I want my cat eaten up. Bad joke! My Bad.

👉 Insider Tip: Don’t aim for a perfect Hemingway score. That’s how you end up sounding like a robot. Use it to trim fat, not personality.

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ProWritingAid: Grammarly’s Nerdy Cousin

Here’s the deal: ProWritingAid vs Grammarly is like Apple vs Android. Grammarly is sleek, fast, popular. ProWritingAid is deep, customizable, and better for long-form writing.

Why I love it:

• Detailed reports on pacing, character building, sentence variety, readability.

• Fiction writers: it even checks dialogue tags and clichés.

• Works offline (huge plus if you don’t want everything you write sent to the cloud).

Downside: It can feel overwhelming. There’s a report for everything. Sometimes you just want “fix my commas,” not a 10-page essay about sentence length.

👉 Insider Tip: Use Grammarly for quick edits, ProWritingAid for serious projects (essays, books, research papers).

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Quillbot: The Paraphrasing Powerhouse

Quillbot Paraphrasing Tool is famous because it rewrites text in seconds. If Grammarly fixes, Quillbot rephrases.

What I noticed:

• Great for avoiding repetition (or when your brain can’t find synonyms).

• Citation generator = lifesaver for students.

• The free version is decent, but the premium unlocks modes like “Creative” and “Formal.”

The catch: Sometimes it rewrites sentences so smartly they sound like they belong in a philosophy journal. Good luck if you just wanted a casual blog post.

👉 Insider Tip: Run your paragraph through Quillbot, but always read it aloud after. If you sound like you’re delivering a TED Talk when you just wanted to rant about coffee — dial it back.

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Other AI Editing Apps Worth Mentioning

• Ginger – Quick grammar + translation. Great if you write in multiple languages.

• Autocrit – For fiction. Checks pacing, repetition, and even if your dialogue sounds natural.

• ChatGPT for Writing – My personal “secret weapon.” Grammarly fixes mechanics, but ChatGPT helps me reshape tone, explain things simply, or even draft multiple variations of the same sentence. Some of my friends like Claude so your call.

• Perplexity AI – Perplexity isn’t just search — it’s your on-demand research buddy and writing sparring partner, giving you facts, outlines, and sharper drafts while you stay in control of the final voice.

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How to Actually Use These Tools Without Losing Your Voice

Here’s the truth most blog posts don’t tell you: if you accept every suggestion, you’ll sound like AI wrote your piece.

👉 Here’s my workflow for the serious work I do, if any:

1. Draft freely (ignore grammar for now).

2. Run through Grammarly → fix obvious errors.

3. Paste into Hemingway → simplify anything turning into a wall of text.

4. Run tricky paragraphs through Quillbot → get alternatives.

5. Ask ChatGPT → “Rewrite this for a younger audience” or “Make this funnier.”

6. Add my own snark back in.

By the end, my writing is polished but still mine.

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Final Thoughts: AI as Your Co-Editor, Not Your Ghostwriter

Look, I love these tools. They save me from dumb mistakes and polish my text fast. But they’ll never replace the messy, sarcastic, human voice that makes writing fun to read.

So experiment. Try Grammarly alternatives, explore ProWritingAid vs Grammarly, play with Quillbot paraphrasing, and don’t be afraid to laugh when Hemingway paints your masterpiece red.

At the end of the day, AI proofreading is about improving writing with AI, not replacing your creativity.

Because no app can teach you how to write like you. Well, not entirely true, but for now who cares.

 🔗 Recommended AI Proofreading Tools

• ·        Grammarly

  ·        HemingwayEditor

  ·        Quillbot

  ·        ProWritingAid

  ·        Ginger

  ·        Autocrit

  ·        ChatGPT

  ·        PerplexityAI

  ·        ClaudeAI

•  MicrosoftCopilot

✍️ Why Every Author Must Embrace Apps & AI Models in 2025 🚀

 Why Every Author Must Be Acquainted With Apps and AI Models

In the past, being an author meant focusing only on storytelling, characters, or the weight of words on paper. Today, however, the publishing and marketing landscape has shifted so dramatically that an author who ignores technology risks obscurity. Readers still care about good writing, but they also live in a digital world dominated by apps and AI-powered platforms. For an author, being acquainted with these tools isn’t optional anymore—it’s survival. Writing is an art, but publishing, marketing, and reaching readers is an ecosystem—and in today’s world, that ecosystem is digital. Authors who confine themselves only to pen and paper risk being outpaced by those who embrace technology. Apps and AI models are no longer just fancy tools; they’re companions that can transform how an author creates, edits, markets, and even sells their work.

1. Writing Beyond the Blank Page

Modern apps like Scrivener, Notion, or Google Docs have revolutionized how authors draft and organize manuscripts. AI writing models go further, helping with grammar checks, stylistic refinements, and even brainstorming plot twists when writer’s block strikes. These aren’t crutches—they’re accelerators. The author’s voice remains central, but the tools polish, structure, and speed up the process.

2. Editing with Superhuman Precision

Editing used to mean waiting weeks for human feedback. Today, AI-driven editors like Grammarly or ProWritingAid can highlight weak spots instantly—overused words, clunky sentences, tone mismatches. For authors preparing self-published books or blog series, these apps act like tireless assistants. They won’t replace a professional editor, but they’ll make sure the first draft is clean enough to respect your reader’s time.

Traditional proofreading is vital, but AI-powered tools take it several steps further. Apps like Hemingway highlight tone, readability, and flow. AI writing models can even suggest alternative phrasings or spot inconsistencies in dialogue. For authors working without a full editorial team, these tools act like a pocket editor.

3. Marketing in the Algorithmic Era

Writing is one side of the coin; getting noticed is the other. Apps and AI tools can analyze trends, suggest keywords, generate compelling social media posts, and even design eye-catching visuals. Authors no longer need to rely solely on traditional publishers’ marketing budgets. With AI models for ad copy, content repurposing, and SEO optimization, authors can reach readers across platforms at scale, often with zero extra cost.

4. Cover Design and Visuals Without a Designer

Authors may not always have access to professional designers. But AI art generators and mockup tools now allow you to create book covers, promotional posters, or even illustrations in your unique style. It doesn’t replace professional artistry, but it gives independent authors affordable, high-quality alternatives. Believe me, some AI’s create breath taking covers and go far beyond it.

5. Audiobooks and Voiceovers Made Easy

Audiobooks used to require expensive studio sessions and narrators. Now, AI voices can generate professional-grade narration at a fraction of the price. Tools like ElevenLabs, Murf, or Play.ht allow an author to make their work accessible to audiobook listeners—or even produce podcast-style readings—without needing an audio engineer.

6. Building Community with Authenticity

Apps and AI can also help manage communities, from automating newsletters to moderating discussions. But the real magic lies in freeing the author’s time—less clicking through admin work, more engagement with readers. AI doesn’t replace the author’s relationship with their audience; it clears the path so that connection can be deeper.

7. Efficiency = More Time for Creativity

The true benefit? Apps and AI handle the grind. From formatting ePubs to generating promotional visuals, automation frees authors to spend more time where they shine—on storytelling.

8. Future-Proofing Your Career

Readers today consume content not just in books but on TikTok, Instagram Reels, podcasts, and even AR/VR platforms. AI and app familiarity ensures that an author can adapt their stories to new formats, whether that’s a cinematic trailer for a novel, an AI-generated character art, or a spatial XR reading experience. In a world of constant change, adaptability is an author’s true superpower.

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Final Word

For authors, technology isn’t about selling out creativity—it’s about amplifying it. Apps and AI models are the modern author’s toolkit, letting you write smarter, edit faster, market wider, and connect deeper. The pen is still mighty, but in 2025, it works best when paired with an app.

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📄🛡️Why Your PDF App Might Be Stealing Your Privacy (And How Mumaura Offline PDF Reader Saves the Day) - A hidden gem

In today’s tech-saturated world, every app on your phone is in a sneaky little race—collect more data, track more clicks, and shower you with ads until you buy that “premium subscription.”

PDF readers? You’d think their job is just to read PDFs, right? Wrong. Most modern PDF apps have morphed into advertising platforms, constantly harvesting your personal data, monitoring your reading habits, and selling it off to the highest bidder (hello, targeted ads!). Not to mention those endless paywalls and sneaky subscription traps.

But here’s the good news — I recently found a breath of fresh air in this data-hungry jungle: Mumaura PDF Reader by Mummaapps.