INSTA is still listening? HOWWWWW???

Ingonimania

Hi there, im using my Pixel since a year now and can not understand how INSTA is listening...

Here the case: INSTA has only "network" permission. I have WHATS installed too, it has MIC permission only while using WHATS... and as i understand, WHATS and INSTA may not comunicate inside Graphene OS, right? So happend that i was talking with a friend who came to visit me about the weather here, very windy weather... And when i picked up my phone 2 hors later, INSTA showed me stormy weather reels, umbrela and rain coat adds etc.... im 1000% sure that there has to be a relation but still can not figure out HOW... please help to understand that shit.

Novalissoide

Ingonimania
Instagram and Whatsapp are both apps by Meta, so their logged in state, I'd presume likely shares lots of data between them outside of your local device.

Johnnyloans

Ingonimania

It could be as simple as: the weather is unusual or strong in your city.

Meta can see your internet IP is from that city. Show them info about weather. Especially if they can see tons of people from that city are talking and searching about it on Facebook or insta.

Now people use those apps more because it warned them about weather.

AcclaimSublevel19

Ingonimania I totally agree with @Johnnyloans on this one. It is definitely at least plausible that data sharing between the two apps occurs, but I find it highly unlikely that this is the cause of the situation you reported.

If WhatsApp was using your microphone you'd have the green microphone indicator in the top right corner. You didn't mention having one so the theory of it sharing microphone data can be rejected. It's much more likely your location was used. You can prevent that by using a reputable VPN like Mullvad or IVPN.

By the way, you have misunderstood that GrapheneOS prevents Instagram and WhatsApp from talking to each other. IPC is allowed and the only way to block it is to put the apps in separate profiles or put one in the main profile and the other in a private space. In the future there may be an option to disable this.

unsaltedsanctionsnowdrop

Ingonimania and as i understand, WHATS and INSTA may not comunicate inside Graphene OS, right?

Wrong. Apps can use IPC to communicate with each other as long as both are written to do so. As both are written by Meta, it's entirely up to Meta whether they can communicate locally. And even if they don't, as others mentioned, there's no reason they can't share data on the server side.

Ingonimania

Novalissoide - isn´t it suposed that both apps run sandboxed and can not share data?

Ingonimania

Johnnyloans -- no no, yesterday i was watching a docu about Bali on my laptop and then i saw BALI ADDS in Insta... INSTA is listening and i dont now how...

Novalissoide

Ingonimania the apps on your phone won't need to communicate, their Meta service solution, which isn't local on the device, might sync things.

AcclaimSublevel19

Ingonimania who said the connection didn't happen on your laptop? The website you watched the documentary on could have embedded scripts from Meta that linked your browsing to your Instagram account.

Johnnyloans

Ingonimania i was watching a docu about Bali on my laptop

Here's a situation:

I log into Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp on my laptop. A cookie gets save in my web browser that this is Johnny short stack. I then read my news and browse the web. So many websites have a "share on [social media]" button or they have 1 pixel in the webpage which runs code. They see the cookie says johnny and I am at Bali page.

If you installed an app on your computer for whatever, this is even easier and you can be tracked doing anything on the pc.

Same with smart TV, firestick, etc. You have to log in.

Ingonimania

AcclaimSublevel19 because i dont run INSTA on my laptop NEVER, for years.

Johnnyloans

Ingonimania

Your phone and laptop connect to the same WiFi/internet or have in the past. Same public IP. Connected this way

raccoondad

Ingonimania im 1000% sure that there has to be a relation but still can not figure out HOW

There is no reason to assume this as an absolute, especially when meta would have an idea of the weather conditions you have due to geoIP

Even if it was due to voice, both are products of Meta and your targeted ads would reflect from activity on both apps.

Johnnyloans

raccoondad

Thank you raccoon dad