cm2012 6 hours ago

The effect of that data is serving you better ads. Its not a big deal. Dystopian governments have way better sources of citizen data than anonymized ad exchanges. It basically just powers product discovery in a giant global marketplace.

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gmerc 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I’m glad you mention this. From today https://www.404media.co/cbp-tapped-into-the-online-advertisi...

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cm2012 6 hours ago | parent [-]

This shows a really fascinating dynamic.

In theory, the government doesn't need the ad exchanges which have very lossy information. They have access to the ISPs and cell service providers, etc, with a warrant. Dictatorships like China and Russia don't need ad network data to be police states, they just use the core phone, internet and computer data.

But in this case, the US gov are using the insecure private data as a run-around to the warrant process. This is definitely unfortunate, and I think laws should be amended to prevent this workaround.

	▲	4 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		[deleted]
	▲	dwighttk 5 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		They don’t need a warrant for the ad exchanges

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Levitz 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

>The effect of that data is serving you better ads.

On the contrary, the ads become worse, since they become better at trying to get me to buy some crap I don't need.

The more irrelevant to my profile they are, the better.

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shevy-java 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This is not just about "better ads" - though I don't understand the term better anyway here. This is about profiling people. Ads are just one benefit here. Profiles can be sold to get a better idea of the potential customer base.+

> It basically just powers product discovery in a giant global marketplace.

That is also incomplete. See how profiling led to ICE finding people - and ICE has a proven track record of executing US citizens. That is also a fact. It does not mean profiling led to the death of the people here, 1:1, but it meant that it is a contributing factor to the build-up of government troops killing people (which is very similar of Europe 1930s by the way).

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soopypoos 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Would you write your name down the side of your car?

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paddez 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

There's a subset of people in Ireland who are legally required to write down an ID on their vehicle, that can be matched to a name/photograph in seconds.

https://www.transportforireland.ie/getting-around/by-taxi/dr...

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Additionally, in plenty of European Countries, it's pretty common to write your name on your address: https://c8.alamy.com/comp/B01RP4/personal-name-plates-at-blo...

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cm2012 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

My name is on my car, the license plate can be matched to my name in seconds.

	▲	shevy-java 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		To those who have access on the registry - yes. But not everyone knows the name because they do not have access to the registry. Writing it down would give more information to everyone else at all times.

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0xffff2 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Would you not? It would look odd and draw a lot of attention simply for being unusual, but I'm struggling to come up with any way in which doing so would actually harm me.

	▲	soopypoos 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		If you do it right now I will reveal my answer.

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layman51 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I disagree, because there’s always a chunk of advertising that seems to be all about targeting low-income or people who aren’t financially savvy and I don’t think it’s ethical for an apparatus to take advantage of them.

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cm2012 5 hours ago | parent [-]

I think if a product is harmful, advertising it should be banned. Alcohol, drugs, gambling ads should be banned.

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johnisgood 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

That is a pretty simplistic, prohibitionist worldview.

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sophacles 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

What about food products that can be used to excess? What about cars or AI or vacations? All these products can be harmful when misused.

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cm2012 5 hours ago | parent [-]

Those all pass the utilitarian calculation for me, goods greater than harm.

	▲	sophacles 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		What utility does a box of cookies have? A bar of chocolate? A can of soda? Those things are about pleasure and have serious harmful consequences if overused - just like tobacco, alcohol and drugs. What about video games? They only have utility in pleasure and the sedentary lifestyle associated with over-playing them is extremely harmful. Sounds to me like you have some random things you decided you don't like and want to ban ads for them, not that you've done any thinking about utility (other than as a bad attempt at rationalizing your anti-some things campaign).

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AzN1337c0d3r 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Insurance is likely using that same data to adjust rates.

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catoc 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

” it’s not a big deal. Just gets you better ads.”

I thought this was just ignorance.

Then I checked the profile. They ”have lots of experience with digital advertising “

	▲	shevy-java 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Really? So the profile is like an ad-bot. Good to know. It was the only account that tried to promote ads; everyone else hates ads, so they don't write in a positive tone about them.

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wonnage 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

This might’ve been true in 2012 but definitely is not the case today

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it”

	▲	basket_horse 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		The counter point to that quote is that someone whose salary depends on something likely has a lot more understanding of the topic than the average person. Not saying theyre always in the right. But the average internet user thinks they are way better informed than they actually are.