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How do you feel about targeted advertising online that shows ads for products and services that presumably meet your interests, based on your online search history and viewing habits?

23 Comments

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23 Comments
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With YouTube (Google) and an Android phone (Google) your ads and preferences will sort of follow you. =The YouTube on my parents Roku has quite a few (odd) suggestions that are similar to mine. -Obviously YouTube knows when I am at my parents house. Mostly 80-90% different, but I am always surprised. Also these Smart TV's listen in on you so if you are always talking about "Toyota" etc = expect alot of direction that way or from competitors. -Even my parents noted that.

Ad placement (mostly Google) is much smarter/helpful now. =Used to be mostly 99% worthless ads, but now over half seem to make sense and 5-10% are interesting.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I never read the ads

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Creepy. There needs to be warnings saying that any adverts are targeted.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Obviously, Chrome browser is logging everything you type.

As someone who knows how this works, no, that’s not it. You’re being tracked but that’s not the medium by which it’s happening.

You may want to be careful about what you consider to be obvious. You’ve misdiagnosed this one.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is hilarious.

I just wrote a comment about truck drivers here on JT and within seconds, seconds(!) an ad to become a truck driver for Walmart appeared on a huge ad on YouTube when I went there.

Obviously, Chrome browser is logging everything you type.

Scary stuff, people.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@ADK99

-it's the lack of transparency about how and when the data is collected.

Any way they can, whenever they can, to make cash.

Which is considerably less sinister that all the covert government data collection we can assume is going on.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I see that sweater all day blinking and causing a headache.

My fashion sense is like that, too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Use an ad blocker.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It just shows me how much of my online activity is being monitored for commercial purposes or otherwise. As for the ads, they really don't meet my interests that much. The most alarming thing about targeted ads in my experience is when my phone was locked and I was speaking about a certain thing frequently, ads about that certain thing plagued me after. They're watching and listening to us.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ad are easy to clear and change.

Open a new tb, google something nice like olympic skaters and your new ads ill be refreshing.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The concept isn't the problem, it's the lack of transparency about how and when the data is collected.

Some of these companies absolutely deceived their users in terms of how they were being tracked, especially when not even using their platform. I think I should have a reasonable expectation that a platform is not tracking my activity when I'm not using their platform, unless I have given them express permission to do so (and not through the medium of 50 page user agreements).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Alfie,

Scorchio!!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Yes, it’s quite disturbing, if you look for something but buy it elsewhere you still get the ads for several months. lol So the good thing is, the whole system is still stupid and they don’t know if or whatever you are doing afterwards, still wanting it, having it bought, lost interest…they don’t know it with their still stupid IT. In addition, you can therefore turn those disturbing ads into an advantage for you. Search for something you like, let’s say a race car, your favorite idol group, nice girls or anything of your seldom hobby. Then those idiots decorate your boring websites and browsing experience with all the things you enjoy.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Mickelicious 09:11 am JST

I've no idea why they keep recommending me that Swedish pump thingamajig.

What's it for?

Does it have an accion pumpo? It's probably one of these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-q5OCPltcc

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It doesn't bother me. I don't mind my searches being analysed or being advertised to if I get a service for free in return. Just go easy on the video ads - they are visually distracting and we don't all have fibre.

Most of the suggestions are entirely irrelevant. I tend to buy specific collectibles online and the 'AI' is useless for matching these. I can look at hundreds of similar items and zero in on one. I know why, a few fellow collectors know why, the 'AI' doesn't. Sometimes the suggestions are random, weird or amusing. To be honest, I wouldn't pay for the quality of 'targeting' that it offers.

The more prosaic suggestions on specific services like Amazon (other people who bought that also bought this) are sometimes useful, as are direct equivalents on ebay, which may be cheaper.

Frequently repeated/longer YouTube ads can be annoying, but I'd rather have the ads and YT than no YT or have to pay a subscription, which could be blocked and impacts on privacy. YT suggestions are quite good for finding new music. Jpop and Kpop groups have profited from this as I follow discoveries up with purchases. Agencies that block their acts from YT have not.

Services have to be paid for one way or another, and charging for them denies them to lots of people who have no spare cash. A small percentage of ads are worth watching on their own merits. Currently on UK TV, the Ladbrokes red balloon ad is rather good (YT, but you have to sign in), as is the Amazon Rapunzel one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-CISJyXICk

There are much worse things to get annoyed about.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I don't care that much and in fact sometimes it's convenient. BUT it does blow my cover as to what birthday or Christmas presents I'm looking to buy for my family.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I've no idea why they keep recommending me that Swedish pump thingamajig.

What's it for?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I don't need ads.

I'll find what I'm looking for on my own

0 ( +4 / -4 )

It's tech doing it's thing. Yes, it can be invasive, but it's best to just ignore it and avoid doing all that clicking on things. The Internet is the Wild Wild West of today.

There's an old saying, 'Mankind's accumulated knowledge is in books.' I've added a new line - 'Mankind's accumulated lies and deceptions are online.'

Don't quote me without appropriate credits.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Although I don't get troubled with target ads, oddly, many fail to meet my taste, interest or expectations. I don't feel either my privacy is under full surveillance (if they are doing any breach without my recognition...well, how so sophisticated!).

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Violated.

I've heard stories from people with an Amazon Echo, Google Nest, etc., and within minutes of a conversation, ads show up on their phone or tablet browser.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

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