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

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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?

How it works?

If you've stuck around this long, you probably want the lowdown without all the tech jargon. Don't worry, I'll drop a full nerdy blog later. For now, picture this:

You add a PS5 to your Amazon cart. Imagine Cambridge Analytica as the sneaky buyer collecting your data. Amazon gives you a unique digital ID — yep, cookies are still king here. This ID tracks you across all devices, even if you log out!

So, Amazon knows what you like, where you are, and what’s in your cart. They share anonymized behavior data (like people who added a PS5 but didn’t buy) along with your unique id so they are still able to identify, but without names to DSPs like Cambridge Analytica. It's like sharing your social security number which does not have your name. Thanks to data swaps with Facebook and others, DSp's get even more clues about your clicks and wishes. They have a detailed data about your behavioral patterns, explained further below, from a variety of data provider including but not limited to Amazon/Facebook/Google and so on. This is why choosing apps that don't share data to this DSP's becomes so important.

Now, when you visit a blog like this one, an google ad sense talks to Google’s ad server. They say, “Hey, got 3 ad slots!” and send your digital info(Your unique digital  id/location/device/gender and so on). Then ad exchanges hold a fast, silent bidding war for your eyeballs, deciding which ad wins. They already know from your unique Id what you like/dislike/your darkest secrets and so on. That's why ads sometimes take a moment to load — it’s a backstage auction happening.

Targeted Vs Tracked

You know how some big tech giants claim they only target you, not track you? Well, that’s like saying they peek through your window, but don’t actually know your name so don't know you. Let me tell you, without tracking, targeting is just wishful thinking.

Imagine you’re visiting my blog here: https://kallatvinay.blogspot.com/. Lucky you—they don’t have you labeled as some creepy visitor from a shady URL like https://sensored-site/things-I-dont-want-to-tell-people. Because if you had, all the DSPs (Data Snackers & Prowlers) like Cambridge Analytica would know your secret tastes and behaviors—like you being a bit of a pervert, no offense.

Now, say you’ve browsed those "naughty" sites or the number one "married dating app" Ashley Madison. Or maybe you googled hair fall products (looking at you, men’s hair loss warriors). All of this gets collected and categorized. You’re basically filed under "Incest/Abuse Support," "Infidelity," "Men Hairfall," and more. Your location’s logged too, so they know you’re a guy in that exact area(More or less). Creepy much? That’s not targeting; that’s hardcore tracking.

And it’s not just skin deep. Amazon, Facebook, and co. scoop up everything from your religious beliefs (whether you’re Christian, atheist, or just confused), political leanings, net worth, dating habits, daycare choices, mental health status, infertility, STDs, blood disorders—you name it. If it’s personal, embarrassing, or mundane, it’s in the database.

So next time someone says, "We just target, we don’t track," smile politely and remember—they can’t target what they don’t track. Oh, and keep reading my blog for more juicy truths and laughs!

What you can do (without quitting the internet):

• Opt out of cross-context behavioral ads on Amazon Amazon

• Turn off browsing history & interest-based ads in your Amazon settings The Guardian

• Incognito mode helps a little but does not fully hide your activities due to ipaddress. It's more or less like your postal address in a digital world. Big giants can still track you based on ipaddress. You will have to use VPN to hide your ipaddress.

• Linking between Instagram/Facebook/Amazon - Limit account linking between platforms unless it's useful & you clearly understand what you're opting into MediaPost

• Use privacy-focused browsers or containers to block cross-site tracking. The Guardian

• Educate yourself—check Amazon’s Ads Privacy, Amazon’s Privacy Notice, and Meta’s policies

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References

• Amazon’s cross-context behavioral ads and how to opt out Amazon

• Amazon’s pseudonymized interest-based advertising under GDPR & LGPD. Amazon Ads+1

• Amazon-Meta account linking feature for enhanced shopping experience. MediaPost

• Enforcement against third-party misuse of customer data WIRED

• FS own study: Amazon tracking, tag sync, and ad targeting practices The Guardian+1