Retargeting Ads Stalk You For Weeks After You Shop

eldavojohn writes "The New York Times is reporting on a new kind of web ad that takes products you were looking at purchasing on one site and continually advertising them in front of you at subsequent sites. After looking at shoes at Zappos, a mother in Montreal noticed the shoes followed her: 'For days or weeks, every site I went to seemed to be showing me ads for those shoes. It is a pretty clever marketing tool. But it's a little creepy, especially if you don't know what's going on.' The spreading ploy is called 'retargeting ads' and really are just a good demonstration of how an old technology (all they use are leftover browser cookies) are truly invasive and privacy violating. Opponents are clamoring for government regulation to protect the consumer and one writer mentioned a consumer 'do not track' list — adding that retailers really show little fear of turning off customers with their invasion."

Re:It seems a bit wrong-headed

[dyingtolive]

Genuine question: Do you ever get ads for a new shift key? Yours seems broken. :)

I've noticed this.

[shadowrat]

I've noticed that almost everywhere i keep seeing ads for McDonald's. They are on websites that i go to. They are on tv. They are on the radio. I think i heard one on Pandora. They are even printed on billboards on the interstate through nebraska when i drive through there. That's pretty creepy that they KNOW i'm coming through nebraska and manage to print a billboard just for me.

What i don't get is i don't even like McDonald's. I hardly ever go there, yet they keep showing me all these ads. weird.

Re:It seems a bit wrong-headed

[Anonymous Coward]

It's worse than that. I have been getting google ads in my POSTS to various forums, including slashdot!

Slightly off-topic, but have you considered getting a trailer hitch at ehitch.com? I understand you can get a great deal there.

Re:Silly

[characterZer0]

Brand loyalty does not really play into feminine hygiene products, because as soon as a woman finds a product she likes, they discontinue it.

Re:Silly

[TheGratefulNet]

sounds like she should be looking for another job [dailykos.com]

Re: Not that scary

[14erCleaner]

Don't like? Adblock ftw.

Definitely. Whenever I see /. stories like this one, I feel kind of left out. Sort of like the kid whose parents don't let him watch TV, when the other kids are talking about their favorite shows.

Re:It seems a bit wrong-headed

[Hadlock]

Heh, I just clicked on the link for your reply in my email, even clicked on the parent link (went to my post) but it didn't come up. I had to use Firefox to see your post. Normally I use chrome + "smug adblock user post" blocker and don't see posts about how cool adblock is.
 
Not tempted to turn on smug adblock users blocker all the time ;).

Re:It seems a bit wrong-headed

[Anonymous Coward]

If the shift key is broken, they probably haven't gone shopping for a new one. As a result they probably aren't being stalked by shift-y advertisements.

Re:It seems a bit wrong-headed

[sammy baby]

Use an ad blocker? I'd have one less thing to complain about, and bitching and moaning are two of my favorite pastimes.