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Reader's Paradise

Amazon tracking our reading?

6 years ago

Very likely. I know they track our purchases. Useful as that sometimes is to me, it also feels like an invasion of privacy, one I have tolerated because it has benefits.

However, according to this article which a friend sent me, they also own Goodreads and track that, too. Now that I did not know. And I cannot think of any benefit which the Goodreads contributors reap from this tracking.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/03/amazon-kindle-data-reading-tracking-privacy

Featured Answer

vee_new

6 years ago

Rosefolly, as you say we should be thankful that RP would prove of little value to the 'snooping community'.

Both my S-in-Law and son work in the cyber security field and make us very aware of the dangers involved. It is a hugely growing industry and we ALL should be aware of the power of this new tech world, sometimes for good but too often for bad. Not just minor issues such as what page we are on while reading an 'e' book but the photos we might be storing in some 'cloud', those endless emails and tweet. Who would have thought just a few years ago of the possibility of governing a country by tweet/twitter . . . or choosing a life-partner from a dodgy photo and resume found 'on line'.

And as for stuff such as paying by 'plastic', taking phone calls from crooks breaking into our bank accounts; even contactless payments. That is a really scary one. An elderly woman was interviewed on the BBC and she said how much she loved being able to pay for something just by wafting her purse (containing her bankcard) in the direction of an item she wished to purchase.

It all makes Facebook look very innocent, although even there dangers can lurk for the unwary. Our son advises us to keep away from all the above.

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Comments (6)

yoyobon_gw
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
You can opt to turn off your browsing history on Amazon and it cannot track you.

You can also download , for free, AdBlock.
Rosefolly z5
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Actually browsing history is the only part I like. Amazon sometimes makes suggestions that I find useful. For that reason I have (so far) permitted the snooping. Thank you for the reminder, though.

I do have AdBlock. I've used it for years.

I am not similarly happy about them watching my ebook reading. Nor do I like the surveying of Goodreads. Imagine how you would feel if they watched this forum. Fortunately I think we are small enough and old-school enough to fall beneath their radar.
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Oh good grief! At my age...LOL...I think it would be virtually impossible to create a list of every book I've ever read. Actually...it would take up too much of my reading time to even contemplate such a task. I feel fortunate that I've managed to create a reminder system for just the last few years. Like you, dees...I began reading at a very early age thanks to a home library and dedicated "literary types" in house. I, too, started with some of the more challenging tomes. If I remember correctly...Anna Karinina was one of my firsts. My jouth was a challenging world. It would have been impossible without books. Today...there's not a room in my home...including the bathrooms...without books. I can't even guess at the total number...but I have to weed through them and gift them to the local library every once in a while or I'd never have shelf space for newer editions. It's a daunting task as it's too much like parting with old friends. But...alas...a necessity. My home today is a town house. When the floors creak...I get pangs of guilt. Then I start packing up the next collection for the library. LOL
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woodnymph2_gw
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I am very old fashioned, in that I never order or buy anything on line. I also pay my bills the old way, using a checkbook, envelopes, and stamps. While I am on Facebook, I choose my "friends" carefully and am so very careful what I post. I have an unlisted telephone number and screen my calls carefully. I feel sorry for those who have children with access to mobile phones and "aps" that the parents seem to not always be able to monitor. In the US, there seems to be a growing problem of on line predators preying on the young. Today's world is such a scary place for so many new reasons.
vee_new
6 years ago
Woodnymph, over here many many elderly folk are prayed on by scammers and millions of £££'s are lost every year by older people who 'trust' someone on the phone who pretend to be a bank manager or a policeman.
woodnymph2_gw
6 years ago
That happens often here in the US, as well, Vee. The daily news is filled with these sad stories.

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