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To be clear, they don't have your whole browsing history, just (at best) the history of sites visited in the same browser that also happened to use ads from the

by eli 12y ago

To be clear, they don't have your whole browsing history, just (at best) the history of sites visited in the same browser that also happened to use ads from the same network. And some ads are CPL/CPA where the advertiser only pays when the user takes some action, but many are still CPM and the advertiser is paying for impressions. But really, I think the dirty little secret of these ad networks is that the targeting doesn't actually work all that well. Despite all the data they should theoretically have about you, it just doesn't work very well. Also, I'd argue search terms are a much better indicator of intent to buy than search history or demographics -- one of the reasons Google ads do so much better than Facebook ads even when Facebook knows much more about you.

waterlesscloud 12y ago
I agree with your last point. Cookie-based ads tend to show me things I've already made a decision about. Often, it's something I've thought about but decided against, or sometimes even things I've already spent money on (which has to be the ultimate waste of an ad). In any case, at the very least, I've already formed a preference on the thing, whereas with a search I typically have no leaning in mind and am thus much more influencable.
sjg007 12y ago
It's only a matter of time until Facebook integrates search or does search.
AJ007 12y ago
There are companies that re-populate cookies. The company formerly known as Rapleaf did this. You use computer A, the you go to device B, log in to some random site that is a Rapleaf partner, and they dropped a cookie connecting you to your other device based on your email address. Not particularly shocking anymore, certainly not as Facebook's new cookieless multi-device ad network rolls out. It is going to be very interesting 10 years or so out when we have physical billboards running facial recognition delivering targeted ads. Perhaps 20 years out, a very customized AI salesperson creates a demographic profile and knows exactly what to say to maximize the probability of us buying. The curious thing about advertising law is that this big data & super targeting stuff has become critical for political campaigns. Laws which throttle back on the privacy encroachment would likely neutralize a lot of the effectiveness of a modern US Presidential campaign.

by eli 12y ago

waterlesscloud 12y ago

I agree with your last point. Cookie-based ads tend to show me things I've already made a decision about. Often, it's something I've thought about but decided against, or sometimes even things I've already spent money on (which has to be the ultimate waste of an ad). In any case, at the very least, I've already formed a preference on the thing, whereas with a search I typically have no leaning in mind and am thus much more influencable.

sjg007 12y ago

It's only a matter of time until Facebook integrates search or does search.

AJ007 12y ago

There are companies that re-populate cookies. The company formerly known as Rapleaf did this. You use computer A, the you go to device B, log in to some random site that is a Rapleaf partner, and they dropped a cookie connecting you to your other device based on your email address. Not particularly shocking anymore, certainly not as Facebook's new cookieless multi-device ad network rolls out. It is going to be very interesting 10 years or so out when we have physical billboards running facial recognition delivering targeted ads. Perhaps 20 years out, a very customized AI salesperson creates a demographic profile and knows exactly what to say to maximize the probability of us buying. The curious thing about advertising law is that this big data & super targeting stuff has become critical for political campaigns. Laws which throttle back on the privacy encroachment would likely neutralize a lot of the effectiveness of a modern US Presidential campaign.