this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2023
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[–] riodoro1 114 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The biggest media corporations are allowed to advertise literal crime. Meanwhile saying the word cigarette on tv will get you jail time.

[–] deleted 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] Bz2486 12 points 10 months ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 78 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Wtf does their browser history look like to be getting those sorts of ads?!

[–] CriticalMiss 115 points 10 months ago (3 children)

In the article he states that he kept clicking on those ads on purpose, in order to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago

I would be very curious to see the algorithm adapting to that:

User: click on shrooms ad

AI: Oh he likes shrooms with his cocaine! Let's try a marijuana to snort with his cocaine.

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 10 months ago

ITT: People who are so quick to suggest ad blockers they miss the point of the conversation.

[–] solidsnake2085 43 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Easy, just delete Instagram.

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[–] NAS89 36 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Similarly, my YouTube shorts are filled with gambling videos and “get rich quick scheme” videos. Seems as though “do not recommend channel” blocks the channel but assumes you have some growing interest in the topic.

I just want to watch woodworking shorts and plumbing videos T_T

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago (1 children)

im getting the wrong type of ads lol

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[–] MargotRobbie 25 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Now here's the exact problem with the so called "personalized" ads, that Google and Facebook serves what the advertisers think you want to see, instead of what you actually want to see.

This is the fundamental conflict of interest which the obvious conclusion is that online banner/video advertisements doesn't work, and has never worked, because ultimately, no matter how many times you shove ads in people's faces via a thoughtless machine, you can't "trick" people into liking something. What people want is thoughtful, sincere recommendations by real people, which is why we have seen the rise of sassy brand Twitter accounts being so successful for a time: because there is a real person behind it.

(Of course, it's really funny if you take blatant advertisment to its logical extreme, and even that seemed more effective.)

Of course, Google and Facebook will never admit that they've been lying to everyone and themselves for more than a decade, because to do so is to admit that their entire business of Web 2.0 was built on an absurd and illogical premise of again, if you show people ads for things they never asked for a thousand times, then you can brainwash them into liking something.

In other words, Google and Facebook's entire advertisment business model, if you really think about it, is really no different than pick-up artist logic, and. They. Just. Won't. Go. Away.

[–] Maggoty 13 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Turns out though you can absolutely trick them into believing conspiracy theories with social media ads.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago

You're clearly a known customer for those products :p The algorithm is never wrong..

[–] Astroturfed 23 points 10 months ago

Drugs or Chinese scam products. Had a friend tell me he ordered something that never showed up, turned out they sent these super cheap toothbrushes in the mail and then tried to use that tracking info as proof he received what he bought. They just allow anyone who will pay to advertise illegal shit, scams, whatever it's the wild West.

[–] merthyr1831 21 points 10 months ago

lucky 😮‍💨 all mine are weight loss scams and laptop deals

[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Ain't that many thots there. Could be a good it bad thing.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

U saying there's an untapped market? 😏

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

If only there was a Pixelfed instance that hosted OnlyFans, Cosplayers, and random exhibitionists. Everyone else could just subscribe to it.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Mine is all for phone cases. How do I get the ads for drugs?

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (6 children)

Aren't those ads personalised to your browsing history?

[–] coffeebiscuit 46 points 10 months ago

Should that be a reason to get adds for illegal things? … at all?

[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Tangently...you read one gay rights article and suddenly your ad feed is filled with hot single dads in my area...

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

They are personalised by the "bucket" that data collection companies like Google or Facebook placed you into based on profiling. Browsing and search history is only one of the factors that is taken into account when you are profiled, there are myriad more ways to collect data about you.
And then what ads you see is determined by what advertisers think your "bucket" wants. If you are male in your 20s living in rural USA and advertisers think that males in their 20s living in rural USA are interested in guns, then that's what you will see - even if you never clicked on gun ad or searched for guns on Google.

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[–] Squander 14 points 10 months ago

If I pay more can I get some ads for drugs, money, and weapons?

[–] goaskalice3 10 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I'm trying to kick an opiate habit and seeing that I can buy them on Instagram is not helping

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[–] Edward_Teach 10 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I don't see a problem. Shroom time babey

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

You don't see a problem when Instagram's target market is teens and young people?

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