# How appropriate to your personal interests are targeted ads you see on Facebook (or other media)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-appropriate-to-your-personal-interests-are-targeted-ads-you-see-on-facebook-or-other-media/847550 "2020-02-06T17:20:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-appropriate-to-your-personal-interests-are-targeted-ads-you-see-on-facebook-or-other-media/847550/41 "2020-02-13T06:00:42Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > There algorithm is getting scary good. > > A couple of months ago, I saw a jar of Blue Plate mayo. I remembered people on this board talking about what a great mayonnaise it is, so I bought it. > > The next thing you know, BP ads are showing up on my FB feed. > A couple of days ago, I bought a bottle of Frenches Mustard. Those ads are now running on my FB feed. > > I never Google searched either one of these, but FB still knows somehow. > > I’m tempted to say they have somehow tapped into my Kroger’s card. But Kroger doesn’t know my Facebook handle. > > It’s all very surreal. I see these as bad ads. You’ve already purchased the item and are aware of it. There’s absolutely no reason to advertise it to you again. Maybe, since this one is food, they could wait until they think you’ve used it all–that could make sense. But not right after you purchased it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-appropriate-to-your-personal-interests-are-targeted-ads-you-see-on-facebook-or-other-media/847550/42 "2020-02-13T06:17:34Z")
Anyways, to answer the OP: I find that targeted ads for me in general are bad. And I don’t mean because I mostly adblock things. I mean because, while they can figure out stuff I’m interested in, they can’t seem to figure out what I would ever actually purchase. Amazon gets it the closest, in that, while I’ve actually been searching for something, they’ll recommend things in that range. Problem is, they don’t seem to get that, once I do purchase something, I’m not going to buy any more. And I’m unlikely to purchase this “item frequently bought with,” as those are always quite odd and wasteful, to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-appropriate-to-your-personal-interests-are-targeted-ads-you-see-on-facebook-or-other-media/847550/43 "2020-02-13T12:35:00Z")
I get a lot of “meet older singles” ads with big-breasted, scantily-clad women in their 60s. My wife and I our both in our 30s, but I don’t think fbook knows we’re married. She asks me what I’m searching for to get these ads. But most of the ads are pretty basic. Can I tell if one is necessarily targeted? Today: Mike Bloomberg Orbit chewing gum Starbucks Uber BuzzFeed JoJo Rabbit (I’d like to see this) Comcast Allstate Etc. Etc., yawn. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-appropriate-to-your-personal-interests-are-targeted-ads-you-see-on-facebook-or-other-media/847550/44 "2020-02-13T14:37:42Z")
Honestly, I’ve managed to train myself to ignore ads that slip thru my ad blockers. I know some pop up, but I only pay attention to whatever site I’m visiting at the time. The periphery doesn’t exist. At least on the PC. I play lots of free, mindless games on my tablet, and ads pop up all the time there between levels. They range from “What do you think of Trump: great president or the greatest president” type of thing, to meds, or other political causes. As soon as I can hit the little X in the corner, I do. But none are related to anything about me - probably because my mindless games aren’t linked to me in any way - I don’t associate them with FB or any other online identity. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-appropriate-to-your-personal-interests-are-targeted-ads-you-see-on-facebook-or-other-media/847550/45 "2020-02-13T14:40:17Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Honestly, I’ve managed to train myself to ignore ads that slip thru my ad blockers. I had to go back and make myself look at them on my phone to come up with the above list. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-appropriate-to-your-personal-interests-are-targeted-ads-you-see-on-facebook-or-other-media/847550.md?page=2)