Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- Targeted ads use cookies to track and tailor ads to individual users.
- Issues with targeted ads include revealing sensitive information, constant nudges, overcharging, and spreading disinformation.
Are we swapping our digital privacy for a little convenience? Targeted ads are a problem—here’s why. Marketing bigwigs claim that targeted ads streamline our online shopping experience, but should we be concerned about sacrificing our privacy? Keep reading to learn about targeted ads, data brokers, and how to protect yourself.
Key Elements:
Targeted ads use cookies to track user data and personalize ads based on browsing history, searches, and interactions.
Issues with targeted ads include revealing sensitive information, providing constant nudges for irrelevant products, overcharging based on data, and spreading disinformation.
Data brokers collect user information from various sources and sell aggregated profiles to advertisers, creating targeted ads based on demographic information.
Protect yourself against targeted ads by investing in ad blockers, de-Googling your browsing sessions, and using VPN services with threat protection.
