They've said they use demographic data based on what you provide at signup for targeting ads in email. It's enough to be used fairly effectively (if not as top

They've said they use demographic data based on what you provide at signup for targeting ads in email. It's enough to be used fairly effectively (if not as topically), for instance by correlating voter registration data with name/location data for highly targeted political ads: For instance, surfers may be shown a shoe ad if they recently visited a shoe site. Most of this sort of targeting doesn't require your name. Political targeting does. Campaigns may want to reach only reliable party members, or independents who might swing their way.... Finding voters online is difficult, since no public record connects voters to a particular Internet address. That's where Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL and other lesser-known companies come in. Their enormous stores of registration data can serve as the bridge between particular Internet users and their voter information.... Microsoft and Yahoo's targeting service combines two crucial factors: their knowledge of users' personal information and their ability to add cookies to browsers. Over the years, Internet users have given these companies their name when they signed up for free programs like the Microsoft suite of services known as Windows Live, which includes Hotmail. (Microsoft said it does not sell campaigns access to information users provide when they register for Office or other Microsoft products they've bought.) Microsoft and Yahoo both said the cookies aren't connected directly to names or other personally identifying information. Instead, they use a complicated process to match coded voter information back to anonymous cookies on particular users' browsers. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/06/how-microsoft-and-yahoo-are-selling-politicians-access-to-you/ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/06/how-microsoft-and...