None. I never see ads on the internet.

Curious where you see them and interact in such a way as to build a profile. In other words what do you think is harvesting most of your data?

I don’t see a ton of ads, but when they get through, it’s often something I recently purchased. I’m pretty sure my bank or the merchants are selling my transaction info but why they want to advertise to someone who already made a purchase I don’t know. It’s not even necessarily expensive purchases I would research online (though it can be). I had it happen with a 50ml bottle of Vodka. I bought it and when I got home the ad-overlords started spamming me with ads for the brand.

I use ad blockers and still also go out of my way to disable personalized ads when given the option. The algorithm on YouTube keeps showing me stuff I’ve seen and had engagement with in the “new to you” section. I did use it’s AI search thing once and got exactly the kind of content I wanted, but the algorithm still barely mixes that content into my FYP.

I don’t think it knows a damn thing about me. Which is typical… Nobody understands me. Not even evil mechanisms built specifically to understand me so it can also exploit me. 😔

I block ads on pretty well everything, but my IG algo has me down pat. I actually jokingly blame it for my leftist radicalization (though really, that started when I first listened to Shakira sing about corrupt capitalists when I was like 6 years old).

I’d rather not reinforce it by typing it out.

My work account once got placed on a biotech mailing list so there’s that

Outside of work accounts, I don’t think the algorithms think I exist lol. I use adblockers everywhere, and the only site with real ad-targeting I routinely use is YouTube… which I exclusively use on private windows while logged out, and with adblockers as well. Mayyybe YouTube/Google thinks there’s a weirdo Japanese weaboo (which is only half-correct) living around the vicinity of my house based on my IP address, but that’s pretty much it

I don’t usually see ads but when i do it’s whatever I last searched on aliexpress. On YouTube its most NZ government/council announcements or local companies. But I already follow government updates so they are a wasted spend.

I have decent ad blocker although, I do wanna make a Pi-hole. So I don’t see much. What I do see is generally things on like Amazon or whatever that are suggested. But it’s mostly house stuff since i just moved.

I don’t see a lot of targeted ads but when I do, which is during online shopping, it’s mostly the male equivalent of what my wife buys on Instagram. I feel it tends to miss my tastes. The Google feed on my phone is a little better but I never use it so anything I’ve accidentally clicked on when putting it in my wet pockets (the only time I’ve ever clicked anything there but it happens a lot in the summer) is way overrepresented.

Most are irrelevant, some assume I’m going back to college

I don’t even look at ads on the “general internet” and this is the only social media I still have which has no algorithm. But if I check the home page of services I use…

It’s been so long since I’ve seen a tailored ad.

Hank Hill, apparently.

I don’t use Facebook and use all the ad blockers, but apparently I’m still tracked by IP.

When my SO and I started dating, he hooked to my wifi one day and immediately started getting ads on Facebook for various lawn care products. He’d never had those come up before, lived in an apartment all his adult life, and has never searched for any kind of gardening supplies.

I, on the other hand, do have a lawn that I take care of and frequently shop for various landscaping stuff. But he gets the ads for them.

No idea, I’m quite successful at avoiding the ads, whatever the algorithm thinks it doesn’t reach me.

For a while, Gmail was giving me targeted ads for suicide cleanup services. Something about my activity screamed : this dude’s about to off himself, but wants to be courteous about it."