How did Reddit know?

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duckDecoy

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#324063 23-Feb-2026 20:09

I have a login for Reddit, but I haven't used it for a seriously large number of years. I don't have the app on my phone, and haven't viewed a Reddit post on my browser for I don't know how long.

I get Reddit sending me spam on a daily basis, basically posts it thinks I might be interested in I guess.

On Saturday I went to the Pulp concert up in Auckland. I have received 6 (and counting) Reddit spam messages over the last couple of days all about Pulp. No other topic, just r/Pulp.

How did they know?

rscole86

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#3463840 23-Feb-2026 20:20

At a guess, using your advertising ID along with any sites you use that you allow to sell/share your information.

gbwelly

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#3463842 23-Feb-2026 20:23

Hard to say specifically, but they are all in on it and share data back and forth. Without knowing if you use Apple, Android, Gboard, sign into Reddit with Google, or use an email address with an associated Google ID, or if you have the Reddit app installed on your phone, it's hard to diagnose the method. You could even be ratted out by your phone's bluetooth mac address being at the venue at the right time, by someone else’s phone.

Handsomedan

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#3463875 24-Feb-2026 08:45

It would appear the only way to be truly anonymous would be to go sans-electronics.

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networkn

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#3463877 24-Feb-2026 08:48

Handsomedan:

It would appear the only way to be truly anonymous would be to go sans-electronics.

Heh, if you are in the public sphere you are still being tracked :) Many shops, streets etc...

wellygary

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#3463885 24-Feb-2026 09:26

rscole86:

At a guess, using your advertising ID along with any sites you use that you allow to sell/share your information.

Yeah, it will likely be third party cookies snitching on you,

Pretty sure I saw that reddit read google and facebook cookies, so if you've searched up pulp recently, they'll guess you are interested...

MikeB4

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#3463886 24-Feb-2026 09:32

It was those black helicopters and mysterious drones.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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Behodar

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#3463887 24-Feb-2026 09:36

I started seeing this sort of thing, where I could search for something on my desktop and then start getting ads for it on my phone. It was Facebook doing it.

Historically I had facebook.com redirected to 0.0.0.0 in /etc/hosts, and I never saw this sort of behaviour. Removing that entry causes this "ad matching" to occur.

Handsomedan

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#3463889 24-Feb-2026 09:56

networkn:

Handsomedan:

It would appear the only way to be truly anonymous would be to go sans-electronics.

Heh, if you are in the public sphere you are still being tracked :) Many shops, streets etc...

That's why I wear a balaclava and tinfoil hat when I go out.
Obviously, I also wear a thermally-cloaked bodysuit as well, just to be safe. Don't want to give away my unique heat signature.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

wellygary

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#3463890 24-Feb-2026 10:00

Handsomedan:

That's why I wear a balaclava and tinfoil hat when I go out.
Obviously, I also wear a thermally-cloaked bodysuit as well, just to be safe. Don't want to give away my unique heat signature.

I hope that you jump and hop along to defeat the gait analysis too :)

Handsomedan

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#3463892 24-Feb-2026 10:03

wellygary:

Handsomedan:

That's why I wear a balaclava and tinfoil hat when I go out.
Obviously, I also wear a thermally-cloaked bodysuit as well, just to be safe. Don't want to give away my unique heat signature.

I hope that you jump and hop along to defeat the gait analysis too :)

Hmmmm...so that's how they keep tracking me! Thanks for the heads up. The "Dune" walk it is!

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.
Handsome Dan needs to stop adding three dots to every sentence...

Handsome Dan does not currently have a side hustle as the mascot for Yale

*Gladly accepting donations...

pom532

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#3464047 24-Feb-2026 14:56

Handsomedan:

That's why I wear a balaclava and tinfoil hat when I go out.
Obviously, I also wear a thermally-cloaked bodysuit as well, just to be safe. Don't want to give away my unique heat signature.

The wifi should still be able to track you right?

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richms

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#3464056 24-Feb-2026 15:07

It's a friends and workmates looking for the same thing often.

I was looking for floor paint on my phone and also work PC. Then later on was in someone else's office and they had about 10 sequential ad's for various garage floor things in their facebook feed.

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cshwone

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#3464201 24-Feb-2026 20:41

Jeez, I never knew that Pulp were in NZ. Having travelled 600km up there to go to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, I could have stayed an extra couple of nights and seen Pulp :(

Much under rated and to me better then Blur or Oasis.