Sometimes targeted advertising can work. How anonymous do you feel when apps pop up ads for that thing you were searching for two nights ago on Amazon?
How many advertisers want to have their content featured next to the absolute worst thoughts people have? I regularly saw racist, sexist, homophobic, and inconsiderate content. Not to mention the sex, drugs, and underage drinking. A true advertiser's delight.
Honestly, if there were a way for their ads to be displayed there without that being seen as a faux pas (e.g. some fundamental shift in the ad network model that just makes it seem like a consequence of the browsing user's interactions with companies - it wouldn't be 'shockingly viral' news to see that racists/sexists/etc use products too) they probably would not care.
Perception is advertisers' only enemy. Once that's taken care of, they really don't care what kind of person you are as long as your money's green.
Sometimes targeted advertising can work. How anonymous do you feel when apps pop up ads for that thing you were searching for two nights ago on Amazon?
How many advertisers want to have their content featured next to the absolute worst thoughts people have? I regularly saw racist, sexist, homophobic, and inconsiderate content. Not to mention the sex, drugs, and underage drinking. A true advertiser's delight.