[dx034]

And Googles version is probably much more successful. I noticed the same with Facebook and I don't think it's very effective. Talk once about a topic or like a page and you'll see related ads for a long time. Google seems to have smarter algorithms that try to detect a trend to figure out if you're really interested in something or just mentioned it once.

[kybernetyk]

Amazon is a similar offender.

"Oh, you bought a fridge yesterday? How about you buy another one?"

[mirkules]

Actually,the really creepy thing about Amazon is that if I use their iPhone app to browse for stuff I get ads on my Facebook account for the stuff I searched.

Mind you, I am near tinfoil-level conscious of "cross contamination". I use Firefox on iOS for Facebook, and I never use it for any other browsing other than FB. My name is not my real name on FB, and it's written in a non-latin alphabet. I never discuss products on Facebook, and besides these events happen immediately after.

I have no idea how Facebook is targeting me with Amazon ads for things I just browsed on the Amazon app.

[cosmie]

Facebook isn't targeting you, Amazon is. Amazon is targeting you on Facebook for things you just browsed on Amazon's app.

If you're logged in during your browsing, Amazon knows who you are. If you're not logged in, they presumably have enough heuristics to estimate who you are (based on previous logins from the device).

I don't know about their current programmatic bidding capabilities, but even on their Facebook's normal self-serve platform you can be targeted specifically by email (there's a minimum audience size for pseudo-anonymity purposes, but it's only like ~20 individuals).

Edit: You can go here[1] to see the list of advertisers that currently have you in their audience lists for ad targeting. Currently mine has Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, one of Netflix's new shows listed, and some weird political thing that isn't even for the state that I live in.

[1] https://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences/edit/

[mirkules]

Thanks for that link. It says Amazon has my contact info, but I'm not sure what they could have that ties my Amazon identity to my Facebook identity. I use a different email, different name, no phone number, no address on FB... I don't get it. It would be good if FB said what info they have.

[cosmie]

I agree that it'd be nice to know which data point was used for audience building.

   > I use a different email, different name, no phone number, no address on FB... I don't get it.

Not sure if phone number can be used for audience targeting (it's not available to self-service, normal advertisers iirc). But wanted to clarify this part. Just because you haven't added it in no way means that Facebook doesn't have your phone number. Or your alternate name. Or your different email address. With the way that the Facebook app syncs to most people's phones, all it'd take is one person associating your Facebook account with their phone contact of you for Facebook to start associating those alternative contact/data points with your Facebook profile.

[mirkules]

Interesting. Now that I think of it, for the last few months FB has been relentlessly trying to get me to associate my phone number with my account - and they even display it in Firefox (which was surprising that a browser could pull a phone number). After what you said, I wouldn't be surprised if they associated it anyway.

[pnutjam]

Try it with a vpn, I use airVPN, https://airvpn.org/?referred_by=287899. There are plenty of alternatives.

[joering2]

IP.

[skj]

Google doesn't need a better algorithm; search is simply a stronger buy-signal than conversation.