You can use a clear cookies/web files program/function if you like now and again. The only problem tends to be that they clear everything, so that you have to log on to say Agnostic.com manually again next time you visit, but you only have to do it once, and you are back to normal.

Technology is disconcerting. I put a picture of my son on Facebook and before I can finish it had him tagged. That's creepy

I just saw this Stephen Pastis Pearls Before Swine comic (from 11-3-2021).
Phone Spying -- You're not alone.

A couple of years ago I was searching for a new bike, and visited a number of cycling shops and sites on line. To this day, two years after I bought the bike, I still get bike adverts popping up alongside nearly every page (Except Agnostic of course. ) which I visit. Yes it is intrusive up to a point, but it is not really harmful, why would bike adverts annoy me more than adverts for anything else. And they are far from infallible, I get a lot of, local to you, type adds as well, except that they are all centered about eighty miles away, probably because many years ago, I did a search for a distant cousin, who does live there, and now somehow, even the almighty Google seems to have me wrongly located.

( Note to self. Do a couple of searches for ladies underwear. Should improve the look of the web.)

It's even worse than that as your phone listens to you. Try having a conversation near your phone about something unusual and see if you start getting ads for it. We did that with a mate's iphone and found that it was spying. Didn't have the same problem with mine so it may have something to do with the setup, whether you have alexa active perhaps.

This is all very true. Sadly so in my opinion. WE are the product and there are few ways out. Personally I use a VPN from Switzerland called Proton VPN. It does not track you and has a free version, but the $5 per month one works for me. I do this because I watch TV free from all over the world and much of this is illegal according to those controlling us. I also use their Start browser.

The next item you need is Glary Utilities. The free version is fine. Run the maintenance section of this daily and do not browse anything without your VPN turned on. When done always remember to turn the VPN off. My instructions here are if you have a Windows computer system.

I was driven to this because of what I do, plus the fact the Google and Facebook want to punish me. I either logged in too often, too fast, or some other bullshit. Sites want to control your account and convince you of how good a job they are doing with your information. They claim not to sell your information. It is a lie. If you have anything free from the Internet is is because they are selling your information.

If any website says they use cookies, I leave immediately.

When I search for products, I use my "Private Browsing" mode, so hopefully I won't be bombarded with ads and content after I've already purchased the products. Your computer and phone browsers likely have a "Private Browser" mode. It might help alleviate what you're describing, at least to some extent.

Unfortunately a common practice

Your data is platinum, and it's being sold all the time. One of the ways to stop this is to get a more private web browser (like DuckDuckGo) who won't sell your data.

If you use Chrome, you can turn off a lot of their data collection by logging in to your Google account, moving through each category, such as Web & App Activity, YouTube Search History and Location History, and then clicking "Manage" under each to see how Google uses your information, and turn off any section you don't want collected.

Each and every website you visit is programmed to collect your data such as IP address and email address. You can see an example of this in the way Amazon will display completely different items to you than to someone else logging in at the same time.

If you use any connected device, you have no privacy. None. It has been that way for years, and will only get worse. In the digital world, data is the new oil. And you are a data-generator. We all are.

I am not any kind of expert but here is what I believe is happening...Your phone.AND.your laptop.AND. your TV(assuming it is a SMART TV)are tied to your email...your Google account is tied to your email...thus your phone and laptop and TV are all feeding the Google Algorithms. The Google Algorithms are feeding ALL of your searches, likes, dislikes, preferences into a massive data base...access to that Database is sold to anyone with funding. You signed your privacy away when you "agreed to those terms". Every APP or program you download also has a release you agree to on "Terms of Service" ... You are spied on and you agreed to it...we all did. The only way to stop it means you basically have to ditch your communication devices...which not too many of us are willing to do because of the convenience...sucks, but not much we can do.

My friends and I have had similar experiences. I don't think it's just a coincidence, but what is it? It's a really creepy feeling, for sure.

all that online dating i figure. ever try bill bryson stuff?