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Google’s FLoC Is a Terrible Idea

(www.eff.org)
604 points wyldfire | 2 comments | 04 Mar 21 15:59 UTC | HN request time: 0.887s | source
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querez ◴[04 Mar 21 18:02 UTC] No.26345764[source]▶
> That framing is based on a false premise that we have to choose between “old tracking” and “new tracking.” It’s not either-or. Instead of re-inventing the tracking wheel, we should imagine a better world without the myriad problems of targeted ads.

This seems backwards to me: the alternative to "targeted ads" are "untargeted ads", aka Spam. Who would rather have spam than targeted ads. Sure, spam might be easier to ignore, but it's also not effective from the company's perspective: showing the ad only to people who might be willing to spend money seems like a good thing to me. It's certainly economical. Which is why I feel like targeted ads are not something we can get rid of.

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1. MayeulC ◴[04 Mar 21 18:11 UTC] No.26345903[source]▶
I place targeted advertising in the "creepy spam" category. It's still spam.

If I was to receive an unwanted phone call from a travel agency while I am browsing plane tickets on the net, that would be creepy and annoying to me: I prefer to make thoughtful decisions by myself, thank you.

I realize not everyone thinks the same way. But in my opinion, advertisement has a severe net negative impact on our society, and would like to get rid of it altogether.

I already pay for targeted advertisement that comes in the news articles I read, no need to force-feed me.

I've seen that fun video (in French [1]) where a person asks various advertisers their opinion on the role of advertising in the society, then asks them about an "electric knife" ad that was then running. The cognitive dissonance that follows is hilarious.

[1] (1990, no subs): https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x869qr

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2. wott ◴[04 Mar 21 23:18 UTC] No.26349896[source]▶
> I've seen that fun video (in French [1]) where a person asks various advertisers their opinion on the role of advertising in the society, then asks them about an "electric knife" ad that was then running. The cognitive dissonance that follows is hilarious. (1990, no subs)

Beside Séguéla who dares asserting that advertising makes people more intelligent and is a public service for democracy, the angry one is now congressman (for the right-wing party of course, 20 years of mandate and counting) :-)