Targetted Advertising
Author
Discussion

Doofus

Original Poster:

34,633 posts

204 months

Friday 22nd February 2019
quotequote all
I bought a new pair of FiveFingers recently. Consequently (and really annoyingly) I am now being followed around the internet by adverts for FiveFingers.

But so is my wife. So is it the case that targetted adverts work on IP addresses? I suppose I assumed it worked on google logon or somesuch.

Is there a way to stop her being targetted with ads for stuff I have looked at? It's a potential risk whenI shopping for gifts for her and so on.


ZesPak

26,164 posts

227 months

Friday 22nd February 2019
quotequote all
First step is recognizing who does the ads.

The two main players here are Facebook and Google, both work account based but that doesn't mean your wife won't get ads for things you're looking at (if FB/google might think that could work for example...).

Others are usually a bit simpler and use -for example- cookies, which are on your device. IP could work too but wouldn't be interesting as that usually changes over time.

What kind of machine are you using? Are you using the same account on that machine?

Doofus

Original Poster:

34,633 posts

204 months

Friday 22nd February 2019
quotequote all
I use a Windows pc and two Andrpid tablets. I use Chrome, and on the pc, I am signed in to Google. I suppose I must be signed on on the tablets too, come to think of it.

My wife almost exclusively uses an Android tablet (her own, not one of mine). She uses Chrome too.

We both have facebook accounts, but I never use mine. Neither of us shops or responds to any adverts on FB.

MrOrange

2,039 posts

284 months

Friday 22nd February 2019
quotequote all
It can use a cookie, your IP address, a "machine fingerprint" (mixture of IP, browser-type, or other metadata), or a third-party matching service (if you are logged into, for example, Twitter, the advertiser can push ads at accounts targeted by email address), or any combination of those.

Just to add, the advert can be served as a direct advert and as a re-targetting advert, the second type usually only fires when a) you have visited a site/service and b) not completed a purchase/goal.

Mostly you can "delete" or "ignore" the advert directly within the advert itself.

Doofus

Original Poster:

34,633 posts

204 months

Friday 22nd February 2019
quotequote all
What I hate is when retailers don't say "do not target somebody who has actually made a purchase".

But in this case, it's about why my wife sees adverts based upon my shopping, and how I stop that happening.