and Kindle murder mysteries.

Decided that there was really no use in trying to hide out. This behemoth has it all and trying to avoid their long reach is pretty near impossible. I hate it, but it's a monopoly on steroids.

but both fb and google could eventually find out where you've been even if you weren't accessing their services directly.
https://www.aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/internet-privacy/facebook-tracking-me-even-though-im-not-facebook

There are lots of Mercola haters on DU, presumably because he peddles overpriced supplements. Every so often though, he publishes articles that are worthy of a look, and this is one example.

See post #9.

The short answer is that Google and FB know far more about us than we can comprehend.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/28/all-the-data-facebook-google-has-on-you-privacy?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

is a business decision by Google and FaceBook, and how much of it is at the behest of
the government?

...which government?

maybe I'm jaded from working at a health insurance company for many years with access to the detailed medical history of tens of millions of people, but I just assumed everyone knew that everything you do on a computer is being tracked, and every company you do business with stores and tracks that data, and purchases and shares everything about you with other companies.

You think all of this is creepy....we have a lawn care company in my neighborhood that has taken soil samples from my yard, and drives by my house to see if I'm there so they can stop in and offer me their services. We have realtors that drive by taking pictures of our house to use as "comparable property" when pricing houses in our area, and we have a local childrens dentist that sends my kids birthday cards every year even though we've never gone to their office.

Companies have been trying to find out about people for hundreds of years and then directing their marketing towards those people. It isn't a new thing.