The biggest media corporations are allowed to advertise literal crime. Meanwhile saying the word cigarette on tv will get you jail time.

Wtf does their browser history look like to be getting those sorts of ads?!

ITT: People who are so quick to suggest ad blockers they miss the point of the conversation.

Easy, just delete Instagram.

I don’t get it why and how they get away. I mean I do get it, but it’s astonishing the amount of the shit these big corporations get away with. They’re pretty much profiting from crime and nobody does anything against them.

Similarly, my YouTube shorts are filled with gambling videos and “get rich quick scheme” videos. Seems as though “do not recommend channel” blocks the channel but assumes you have some growing interest in the topic.

I just want to watch woodworking shorts and plumbing videos T_T

This shit's going on in centralized big-name websites, while Lemmy instances fret about discussing piracy and ban people for being impolite to bigots.

I fucking hate the modern web.

im getting the wrong type of ads lol

Now here's the exact problem with the so called "personalized" ads, that Google and Facebook serves what the advertisers think you want to see, instead of what you actually want to see.

This is the fundamental conflict of interest which the obvious conclusion is that online banner/video advertisements doesn't work, and has never worked, because ultimately, no matter how many times you shove ads in people's faces via a thoughtless machine, you can't "trick" people into liking something. What people want is thoughtful, sincere recommendations by real people, which is why we have seen the rise of sassy brand Twitter accounts being so successful for a time: because there is a real person behind it.

(Of course, it's really funny if you take blatant advertisment to its logical extreme, and even that seemed more effective.)

Of course, Google and Facebook will never admit that they've been lying to everyone and themselves for more than a decade, because to do so is to admit that their entire business of Web 2.0 was built on an absurd and illogical premise of again, if you show people ads for things they never asked for a thousand times, then you can brainwash them into liking something.

In other words, Google and Facebook's entire advertisment business model, if you really think about it, is really no different than pick-up artist logic, and. They. Just. Won't. Go. Away.

lucky 😮‍💨 all mine are weight loss scams and laptop deals

Drugs or Chinese scam products. Had a friend tell me he ordered something that never showed up, turned out they sent these super cheap toothbrushes in the mail and then tried to use that tracking info as proof he received what he bought. They just allow anyone who will pay to advertise illegal shit, scams, whatever it's the wild West.

Pixelfed

You're clearly a known customer for those products :p The algorithm is never wrong..

Aren't those ads personalised to your browsing history?

Are the drugs any good?

I don't see a problem. Shroom time babey

Well sir. Given that the algorhythm designed for procuring that content is literally the best at its job bar none. And having also had personal experience with this. One of two things or both is happening. #1 you like to partake in partying and you seek that out sometimes. And the software knows that. #2 you associate with drugs dealers who are in your social media circles.

Let's be clear. This content isnt shown to you just because. Its being shown to you because you have displayed a pattern of seeking where these items come into play or you talk to people who regularly engage in this.

I'm a 28 year old man. I have never been shown a targeted advertisement for feminine hygiene products. Also I had never seen advertisements on social media for literal drugs and shit until I went thru a phase where I developed a pretty bad coke habit for a while and had a lot of dealers in my phone.

If I pay more can I get some ads for drugs, money, and weapons?

I'm trying to kick an opiate habit and seeing that I can buy them on Instagram is not helping