VPN is permanently on (set to not connect to the internet if not on).
FB is on a dedicated browser (Mullvad with Ublock origin).
Fb account was created with a dedicated throw away number at a public library in a different city that I have never since (or before) been to.
Fb account has zero friends, searches for people I know, likes, shares…etc. It wasn’t shared with anyone and the name is a pseudonym. The only thing it is used for is just scrolling through recommended feeds/videos and random groups.
I searched a very particular product on Duck.com on another hardened FF browser and on Youtube on Brave for the first time ever and as soon as I later get on FB, that same product is recommended to me while just scrolling. Mind you I have never searched it or anything related to it on fb.
You are assuming that FB knows you based on displayed ads alone? The ad could be targeting privacy conscious users like us so I would not put too much stock on an instance of a specific ad.
Also, why are you suffering through the internet without using adblocks of any sort in this day and age? You should be seeing less ads, unless the ads are hardcoded into the website.
There are so many ways they could know. This is not something that anyone here is going to answer for you. You should ask facebook instead.
The answer will be including something with context of you, people around you, trends, and likeliness. Facebook can also make educated guesses based on all data they have on you. If you seriously think you can avoid that with just an isolated browser you are very wrong.
Get an adblocker, take your data away from facebook.
What I had in mind was something of a DNS level kind of adblock, Like PiHole.
May we know what specific ad it was?
Facebook ad has an option to do “extended reach” kind of ad serving algorithm. Maybe you fit in that category in both instances, could be by luck.
A cynical would be that if an ad campaign had no immediate target population, it might seek out others to complete its ad quota. For instance “fast food” and “florida”. You might fit into the “florida” by your location, while you may not fit into “likes fast food” it might put you into the same because it cannot fulfill the quota in time.
VPN, Also has nothing to do with what I am asking.
Has nothing to do with what I am asking.
How did they make an educated guess that I searched a particular niche product 5 mins earlier (GIVEN MY PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCE AS OUTLINED IN THE OP)?
I would have to know how exactly it is happening first before just throwing parts at it. You are implying the VPN is the culprit. How so, exactly? I am using one that is recommended here.
All the more I suspect that FB has no one to advertise that to and decided to show it to anonymous random people instead.
It could be malice from FB to the person who bought the ad to say “Hey I earned the money you’ve paid me by showing the ads to people, not necessarily your target demographic, but I’ve shown it to people”. That’s my theory.
Anonymity is super hard. Most here can’t know exactly what’s going on, not when they are miles away from you. And especially, when there’s so many things that could have happened.
So, you would do well to read up on what it takes to have a separate identity. I like mirimir’s guide (a link to which I posted above). After you read those, you might yourself come to understand what is and isn’t enough. Can’t think of any other easy way or magic bullet that might help answer your questions, otherwise.
