If it weren’t for retargeting, we might not have ad blocking
The more I reflect on the current practices of the online advertising industry, the more I think that ad-blocking is a moral imperative.
Will 2016 be the year web advertisers realise we don’t want to be monitored?
Ethan Zuckerman:
This is advertising we’re talking about, the industry founded on the hallucination that people secretly appreciate being tracked, analysed and told what to buy. Advertisers, and the technology companies that cater to them, are responding to ad blocking the only way they know how: doubling down on their fantasy that viewers will suddenly love advertising just as soon as ads are so all-knowing that they anticipate one’s every need and desire.
Related links
Chrome’s default ad blocker strengthens Google’s data-driven advertising platforms
From a consumer’s point of view, less intrusive ad formats are of course desirable. Google’s approach is therefore basically heading in the right direction. From a privacy perspective, however, the “Better Ads” are no less aggressive than previous forms of advertising. Highly targeted ads based on detailed user profiles work subtle. They replace aggressive visuals with targeted manipulation.