#Behavioral targeting

[oragetech123]

Best AI Tools to Detect Customer Hesitation on Your Website

In the current competitive online market, it's not just a matter of wowing visitors to your site — you need to convert them. But what if a potential customer hesitates at the conversion point? That's where AI tools enter. By recognizing hesitation and intervening in real time, companies can lower bounce rates and improve conversions enormously.

In this article, we'll take a look at the top AI tools to identify customer hesitation and how you can leverage them to convert indecision into action.

Why Identifying Customer Hesitation Is Important

Customer hesitation is usually a silent indicator. A visitor could spend excessively long on a product page, hover for an extended period of time over the "Buy Now" button, or continually click between tabs. Such behavior suggests uncertainty, distrust, or a requirement for more details.

If your website does not respond to such signals, the visitor might drop the journey altogether. This is why using AI tools to identify and respond to hesitation in real-time is an intelligent decision.

Best AI Tools to Identify Customer Hesitation

The following are the top AI-powered tools that can identify and respond to customer hesitation efficiently:

1. Hotjar AI Insights (Behavior Analytics)

Hotjar has been a pioneer in session recordings and heatmaps for a long time, but their latest AI-based tools bring user behavior analysis to a whole new level. Applying machine learning to analyze where users scroll, pause, or hesitate, Hotjar provides real-time behavior insights.

Top Features:

AI-powered session recordings

Scroll and movement heatmaps

Integration of user feedback

Detection of rage clicks or hesitation areas

Use Case: Instantly find where users are confused or lose interest.

2. Crazy Egg AI Reports

Crazy Egg employs artificial intelligence to recognize hesitation patterns and provide optimization recommendations. It reports where users stall, where they're stuck, and even where they're likely to convert.

Major Features:

AI-based heatmaps

Smart traffic segmentation

Real-time session recording

A/B testing with AI recommendations

Use Case: Find hesitation and optimize page elements such as CTAs and prices.

3. Zoho PageSense

Zoho PageSense is a robust AI conversion optimization platform that makes more than just rudimentary tracking possible. It employs behavioral analysis and AI-facilitated segmentation to identify hesitation and then automatically test against personalized content.

Key Features:

AI heatmaps and session replays

Exit intent and hesitation tracking

Smart personalization tools

Goal-based targeting

Use Case: Deliver targeted offers or messages based on user hesitation signals.

4. Tidio AI Chatbots

Chatbots have the potential to play a central role in smoothing out customer uncertainty. Tidio, an AI-powered chatbot, detects when users hesitate, linger on a page, or exhibit exit intent. The chatbot can then greet them with targeted messages, FAQs, or promotions.

Key Features:

Behavior-triggered chat by AI

Support for CRMs

Customizable workflows for chatbots

Response suggestions based on NLP

Use Case: Automate engaging uncertain users before they bounce.

5. FullStory (Digital Experience Intelligence)

FullStory employs powerful AI to give rich user journey insights, identifying frustration cues, hesitations, and drop-off points. It flags sessions where users behave abnormally, typically a marker of confusion or uncertainty.

Key Features:

Frustration cues such as rage clicks and dead clicks

Machine learning event identification

Smarts funnel analysis

User sentiment analytics

Use Case: Identify where exactly users hesitate and why.

How to Select the Best Tool

When selecting an AI tool to identify hesitation, consider the following:

Integration: Make sure it is easy to integrate with your website and other analytics tools.

Real-Time Capabilities: Search for tools that identify hesitation in real-time, not only in reports.

Automation: Tools that respond automatically to hesitation (e.g., with pop-ups or chatbots) give the best ROI.

Ease of Use: Select platforms that provide visual dashboards and don't need technical expertise.

Turning Insight into Action

Detection is only the tip of the iceberg. After hesitation has been detected, AI can further assist with:

Personalized offers or messages

Real-time chat support

Dynamic content optimization

Exit-intent popups with rewards

With the union of detection and response, you are able to drastically boost conversions and enhance the user experience overall.

Final Thoughts

Customer hesitation tends to be subtle, yet it is one of the most important signals for potential conversions. With the help of AI tools such as Hotjar, Crazy Egg, Tidio, and FullStory, you can get a very good understanding of customer behavior and take action right away.

Whether you have an eCommerce store, a SaaS product, or a lead-gen site, these tools assist you in converting hesitation into action and browsers into buyers.

[gezginajans]

Google Ads Davranışsal Hedefleme (Behavioral Targeting) Nedir?

Reklamlarınızın doğru kişilere ulaşması her zamankinden daha önemli hale geldi. Google Ads’te davranışsal hedefleme (behavioral targeting), tam olarak bu amaca hizmet eden güçlü bir strateji. Peki, tam olarak ne anlama geliyor ve nasıl çalışıyor?

Davranışsal hedefleme, kullanıcıların çevrimiçi davranışlarına dayalı olarak onlara özel reklamlar sunma yöntemidir. Bu davranışlar, web sitelerindeki gezinme alışkanlıkları, tıklanan bağlantılar, izlenen videolar ve daha fazlası olabilir. Özetle, kullanıcıların ilgi alanlarını ve tercihlerini anlamak için toplanan veriler, onlara daha uygun reklamlar göstermek amacıyla kullanılır.

Neden Davranışsal Hedefleme Önemlidir?

Modern dijital pazarlamada, kullanıcılara genel reklamlar yerine kişiselleştirilmiş deneyimler sunmak büyük bir fark yaratır. Kullanıcıların dikkatini çekmek için onlara ilgilerini çeken ve alakalı olan reklamlar göstermek her zamankinden daha önemlidir.

Kullanıcı Davranışlarının Analizi

Davranışsal hedefleme, kullanıcıların çevrimiçi alışkanlıklarını analiz ederek hangi ürün veya hizmetlere daha fazla ilgi duyduklarını anlamaya çalışır. Bu analiz, sadece kullanıcının neyle ilgilendiğini değil, aynı zamanda satın alma eğilimlerini de ortaya koyar.

Reklamlarda Kişiselleştirme

Kullanıcıların ilgi alanlarına yönelik hazırlanan kişiselleştirilmiş reklamlar, daha fazla etkileşim sağlar. İnsanlar, kendilerine hitap eden reklamlarla karşılaştığında, bu reklamlarla etkileşime girme olasılıkları artar.

İlgili Yazı: Yapay Zeka ve Makine Öğrenimi ile Kişiselleştirilmiş Pazarlama

Google Ads Davranışsal Hedefleme Nasıl Çalışır?

Google Ads'te davranışsal hedefleme kullanarak, doğru kişiye, doğru zamanda, doğru mesajı iletebilirsiniz. Bu da ne demek? Daha yüksek tıklama oranları, daha fazla dönüşüm ve tabii ki daha mutlu müşteriler! Google Ads’in davranışsal hedefleme özelliği, kullanıcıların internette nasıl davrandıklarına dayalı olarak reklamları hedefler. 

Veri Toplama Süreci

İşin sırrı veride! Google, kullanıcıların çevrimiçi hareketlerini titizlikle takip eder. Hangi siteleri ziyaret ettiklerinden, hangi ürünlere baktıklarına, hatta hangi videoları izlediklerine kadar her şeyi not eder. Tabii ki bunu yaparken gizlilik kurallarına sıkı sıkıya bağlı kalır.

Kullanıcı Profillerinin Oluşturulması

Bu veriler ışığında, Google her kullanıcı için benzersiz bir profil oluşturur. Bu profil, kullanıcının ilgi alanlarını, alışveriş alışkanlıklarını ve hatta gelecekteki muhtemel davranışlarını tahmin etmek için kullanılır. Adeta dijital bir crystal ball gibi!

Kullanıcı Segmentleri ve Veriler

Google, kullanıcılara ilişkin verileri toplayarak onları farklı segmentlere ayırır. Örneğin, teknoloji ile ilgilenen bir kullanıcıya teknoloji ürünleri ile ilgili reklamlar göstermek mümkündür. Bu segmentasyon, hedef kitlenin doğru bir şekilde belirlenmesini sağlar.

Tarayıcı Çerezleri ve İlgi Alanları

Çerezler, kullanıcının web sitelerindeki geçmişine dayalı bilgileri toplar. Bu bilgiler, kullanıcıların hangi tür içeriklere ilgi gösterdiğini anlamak için kullanılır. Örneğin, sık sık seyahat sitelerini ziyaret eden bir kullanıcıya tatil reklamları gösterilebilir.

Davranışsal Hedeflemenin Avantajları

Davranışsal hedefleme, reklam performansını artırmanın ve reklam bütçesini daha verimli kullanmanın en etkili yollarından biridir.

Daha Yüksek Dönüşüm Oranı

Doğru kitleye hitap etmek, dönüşüm oranlarını artırır. Kullanıcılar, ilgilendikleri ürün ve hizmetlerle ilgili reklamları gördüklerinde, satın alma eğilimleri yükselir.

Doğru Kitleye Ulaşma

Davranışsal hedefleme, reklamların doğru kişilere ulaşmasını sağlar. Örneğin, moda ile ilgilenen bir kullanıcıya, spor malzemeleri ile ilgili bir reklam göstermek yerine moda ile ilgili reklamlar gösterildiğinde, etkileşim oranları artar.

Maliyet Etkinliği

Reklamlarınızı sadece potansiyel müşterilerinize göstererek bütçenizi daha akıllıca kullanırsınız. Boşa harcanan her kuruşa veda edin!

Kullanıcı Deneyiminin İyileştirilmesi

Düşünsenize, sadece ilgilendiğiniz ürünlerin reklamlarını görüyorsunuz. Rahatsız edici değil, tam tersine faydalı! İşte davranışsal hedefleme bunu sağlıyor.

Davranışsal Hedeflemenin Dezavantajları

Davranışsal hedeflemenin de bazı dezavantajları yok değil. Bu dezavantajlar, özellikle kullanıcı gizliliği ve veri güvenliği konularında yoğunlaşır.

Gizlilik Kaygıları

Çerezler ve diğer veri toplama araçları, kullanıcıların gizlilik haklarını ihlal etme potansiyeline sahiptir. Bu yüzden, reklamverenlerin ve pazarlama uzmanlarının bu konuda şeffaf olmaları ve kullanıcıların onayını almaları önemlidir.

Çerezler ve Veri Güvenliği

Tarayıcı çerezleri, kullanıcıların çevrimiçi aktivitelerini izlemek için kullanılan yaygın bir araçtır. Ancak, bu çerezlerin nasıl kullanıldığı ve kullanıcıların bu duruma nasıl tepki verdiği, gizlilik politikalarının belirlenmesinde kritik bir rol oynar.

Davranışsal Hedefleme Teknikleri

İlgi Alanlarına Göre Hedefleme

Bu teknik, kullanıcıların ilgi alanlarına göre reklam göstermeyi içerir. Örneğin, fotoğrafçılıkla ilgilenen birine kamera reklamları göstermek gibi. Basit ama etkili!

Yeniden Pazarlama (Remarketing)

Sitenizi ziyaret edip ürün inceleyenleri unutmayın! Yeniden pazarlama ile bu kullanıcılara özel reklamlar göstererek onları geri kazanabilirsiniz. İkinci şans her zaman vardır!

Benzer Kitleler (Lookalike Audiences)

Mevcut müşterilerinize benzeyen yeni kitlelere ulaşmak ister misiniz? Benzer kitleler özelliği tam da bunu yapmanızı sağlar. Müşteri tabanınızı genişletmenin akıllı yolu!

Sonuç

Google Ads’in davranışsal hedefleme özelliği, reklamların doğru kişilere ulaşmasını sağlayarak dönüşüm oranlarını artırır. Ancak, bu süreçte kullanıcı gizliliği ve veri güvenliği konularına dikkat etmek önemlidir. Sonuç olarak, davranışsal hedefleme, doğru kullanıldığında, reklam kampanyalarının başarısını artırabilir ve markaların dijital dünyadaki varlıklarını güçlendirebilir.

Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (SSS)

Google Ads’te davranışsal hedefleme nasıl çalışır?

Davranışsal hedefleme, kullanıcıların çevrimiçi davranışlarına dayalı olarak onlara özel reklamlar sunar. Tarayıcı çerezleri ve kullanıcı geçmişi, bu süreçte önemli bir rol oynar.

Davranışsal hedefleme ne kadar etkili?

Kişiselleştirilmiş reklamlar, genel reklamlara göre daha yüksek dönüşüm oranlarına sahiptir. Kullanıcılar, ilgilendikleri ürün ve hizmetlerle karşılaştıklarında, etkileşim olasılıkları artar.

Çerezler olmadan davranışsal hedefleme yapılabilir mi?

Çerezler, davranışsal hedeflemenin temel araçlarından biridir. Ancak, anonim veri toplama yöntemleri de kullanılarak çerezler olmadan da hedefleme yapılabilir.

Google Ads’te davranışsal hedefleme için veriler nasıl toplanır?

Veriler, kullanıcının web sitelerinde gezinme alışkanlıklarından, izlediği videolardan ve tıkladığı bağlantılardan toplanır.

Davranışsal hedefleme ile retargeting arasındaki fark nedir?

Retargeting, daha önce web sitenizi ziyaret eden kullanıcılara yönelik reklamlar sunmayı hedeflerken, davranışsal hedefleme genel olarak kullanıcı davranışlarını baz alır.

Davranışsal hedefleme gizlilik kaygılarına yol açar mı?

Evet, kullanıcıların çevrimiçi davranışlarının izlenmesi, gizlilik kaygılarını artırabilir. Bu yüzden, şeffaf veri toplama politikaları önemlidir.

Google Ads’te davranışsal hedefleme nasıl optimize edilir?

Hedef kitle segmentasyonu, demografik ve ilgi alanı hedefleme ile birlikte optimize edilebilir. Ayrıca, performans verileri düzenli olarak analiz edilmelidir.

Davranışsal hedefleme SEO’yu nasıl etkiler?

Kullanıcı davranışlarına dayalı reklamlar, SEO stratejileriyle birleştiğinde daha etkili sonuçlar verebilir. Kullanıcı deneyimi, SEO’nun önemli bir parçasıdır.

Google Ads’te davranışsal hedefleme için hangi veri kaynakları kullanılır?

Google, tarayıcı çerezleri, arama geçmişi ve kullanıcı davranışlarını izleyerek veriler toplar. Bu veriler, kullanıcıların ilgi alanlarını belirlemek için kullanılır.

Davranışsal hedefleme gelecekte nasıl evrilecek?

Yapay zeka ve makine öğrenimi, davranışsal hedeflemenin gelecekte daha da kişiselleştirilmiş ve hassas bir hale gelmesini sağlayacak. Ayrıca, veri gizliliği düzenlemeleri de bu süreçte önemli bir rol oynayacak.

[digitalaamir]

Unlocking the Power of Behavioral Targeting in Digital Marketing: Strategies and Insights

Explore how behavioral targeting in digital marketing can elevate your marketing efforts by delivering personalized content based on user behavior. This comprehensive article delves into the mechanics of behavioral targeting, its benefits, and practical tips for leveraging this strategy to enhance engagement and drive conversions. Discover how to effectively implement behavioral targeting to optimize your digital marketing campaigns and create meaningful interactions with your audience.

In the dynamic realm of digital marketing, the ability to connect with consumers in a meaningful way is paramount. Behavioral targeting in digital marketing has emerged as a crucial strategy that enables businesses to tailor their marketing efforts based on the specific behaviors and preferences of their audience. This approach not only enhances the relevance of marketing messages but also drives higher engagement and conversion rates.

What is Behavioral Targeting in Digital Marketing?

Behavioral targeting in digital marketing involves using data collected from users' online interactions to deliver personalized and relevant content. This data can include various forms of user behavior, such as browsing history, search queries, and previous purchase activity. By analyzing this information, businesses can create targeted marketing campaigns that address individual interests and needs.

For instance, if a user frequently searches for fitness equipment and visits related websites, a company specializing in sports gear can use behavioral targeting in digital marketing to show ads for new fitness products or exclusive discounts. This personalized approach ensures that the marketing message is directly aligned with the user's interests, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

Benefits of Behavioral Targeting

Enhanced Relevance: One of the primary advantages of behavioral targeting in digital marketing is its ability to make marketing messages more relevant. By delivering content that matches the user's behavior and preferences, businesses can create a more engaging experience that resonates with their audience.

Increased Engagement: When users encounter content and ads that align with their interests, they are more likely to engage with them. Behavioral targeting in digital marketing leads to higher click-through rates (CTR) and more meaningful interactions with the brand.

Higher Conversion Rates: Personalization driven by behavioral targeting in digital marketing can significantly boost conversion rates. By presenting users with offers and recommendations based on their behavior, businesses can effectively guide them through the sales funnel, leading to higher conversion rates.

Improved Customer Experience: Providing relevant and personalized content enhances the overall customer experience. Users appreciate when brands understand their needs and preferences, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

How Behavioral Targeting Works

Implementing behavioral targeting in digital marketing involves several key steps:

Data Collection: The first step is to collect data on user behavior. This can be achieved through various methods, including cookies, web tracking tools, and analytics platforms. The data gathered includes information on user interactions, such as website visits, search queries, and clicks.

Audience Segmentation: Once data is collected, users are segmented based on their behavior. These segments might include categories like frequent visitors, high-intent buyers, or users who engage with specific types of content.

Personalized Content Delivery: After segmentation, the next step is to deliver personalized content to each segment. For example, users who frequently browse a particular category of products might receive targeted ads or recommendations related to that category.

Real-Time Optimization: Behavioral targeting in digital marketing allows for real-time adjustments. As users interact with the brand, their behavior data is continuously updated, enabling marketers to refine their strategies and optimize content delivery in real time.

Ethical Considerations

While behavioral targeting in digital marketing offers numerous benefits, it also raises important ethical considerations. Collecting and analyzing user data requires careful handling to ensure privacy and compliance with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. Businesses must be transparent about data collection practices and provide users with options to opt out of data tracking.

Future Trends in Behavioral Targeting

The future of behavioral targeting in digital marketing is poised for further innovation. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will enhance the ability to analyze user behavior and deliver even more precise targeting. Additionally, the growth of multi-device and cross-channel marketing will require businesses to integrate their targeting strategies across various platforms for a cohesive user experience.

For more information like this, you can download our free application from the Play Store- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.learnol.qgsjo&pcampaignid=web_share

[cohoai]

Micro Segmentation Marketing - Coho Ai

What are the four micro-segmentation variables?

The Four Micro-Segmentation Variables

Micro-segmentation is a more advanced form of segmentation that groups small numbers of customers into extremely precise segments based on various factors. The four key micro-segmentation variables are:

Demographic Segmentation: This involves dividing the market based on demographic factors such as age, gender, income, education, and family size. Demographic segmentation helps in understanding who the customers are, enabling marketers to create messages that resonate with different demographic groups.

Psychographic Segmentation: Psychographic segmentation focuses on dividing the market based on psychological and lifestyle characteristics. It takes into account factors such as personality traits, values, interests, attitudes, and opinions. Psychographic segmentation helps in understanding the motivations and preferences of customers, allowing marketers to tailor their messaging and offerings accordingly.

Behavioral Segmentation: Behavioral segmentation divides the market based on customer behavior, including their purchasing patterns, usage habits, brand loyalty, and response to marketing stimuli. By analyzing customer behavior, marketers can identify different segments and develop targeted marketing strategies to effectively engage and retain customers.

Geographic Segmentation: Geographic segmentation involves dividing the market based on geographic factors such as location, climate, population density, and cultural preferences. This type of segmentation helps in understanding the specific needs and preferences of customers in different regions, allowing marketers to customize their offerings and marketing messages accordingly.

These four micro-segmentation variables provide marketers with a more detailed understanding of their customers, enabling them to create personalized marketing strategies that maximize the effectiveness of their interactions with each customer segment.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

main take aways from Halloween (1978) rewatch:

michael myers is canonically 21??? this bitch should be at the club

*sees tiddies* ***MURDEROUS RAMPAGE NOISES***

that's it that's the movie

outside of the fact that everyone who has sex is murdered by the narrative, this is a surprisingly chill portrayal of female sexuality? these teen girls are horny and actively enjoying Getting It On with their boytoys. no pushy boyfriends sneaking in through their bedroom windows--these ladies are taking the initiative to sneak out and GET SOME. one of them gets laid and then immediately orders her boyfriend to get her a beer. (yes she gets Slashered soon afterward, but so does the boyfriend so honestly, gender equality.) yes the Final Girl is the only one not having sex, but she's not bullied for that, nor are her friends slut shamed except possibly by being murdered by the narrative

actually the only character who is shown being morally condemned on-screen is michael myers. specifically FOR his violent overreaction to other people's sex lives. (people he is spying on). metaphorically, the villain is American Puritanism sticking its judgy nose into other people's business.

aka Michael Myers Is A Republican

but actually the real villain is the doctor. guy's a judgemental, shaming, pathologizing asshole. and he's been in charge of michael's care since he was SIX YEARS OLD? kid never had a chance. i'd go on a killing spree too

also the parents. where are the parents? it's halloween night and all the teenage girls are home babysitting their younger siblings? come to think of it, michael's first victim was his own older sister, whom he killed while she was babysitting him. teen girls are really shouldering a labour burden here. maybe parentification is the true villain

side note: mike commits his first murder wearing a clown costume...which is never referenced again? his 'iconic' costume is a generic mask and wig and jumpsuit, when we coulda had a Killer Clown Michael Myers??? travesty

i like how the Final Girl and her friend casually smoke weed in her car. yeah she's an honor student and her friend is the sheriff's daughter. yeah they smoke weed. so what it's 1978

(to reiterate, mike is 21 and should be at the club. im not saying he shouldn't be rampaging, im saying it's sad that he broke out, tasted freedom for the first time in his life, and immediately snuck back into his childhood home to go rampaging. let's have a remake where he goes to a nightclub and has a few beers. maybe some slutty dancing. then rampage)

oh no he's hot

[peppyhubblog]

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[dubiousdisco]

lee majdoub and jim carrey coming up with the scene where robotnik puts his fingers in stone's mouth

[displaycia]

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[pokemonshelterstories]

happy mother's day to the wild purrloin that got brought into the shelter a friend of mine in unova works with a litter consisting of her own five babies and then the babies of four other pokemon species that she had stolen

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Ad-tech targeting is an existential threat

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me TORONTO on SUNDAY (Feb 23) at Another Story Books, and in NYC on WEDNESDAY (26 Feb) with JOHN HODGMAN. More tour dates here.

The commercial surveillance industry is almost totally unregulated. Data brokers, ad-tech, and everyone in between – they harvest, store, analyze, sell and rent every intimate, sensitive, potentially compromising fact about your life.

Late last year, I testified at a Consumer Finance Protection Bureau hearing about a proposed new rule to kill off data brokers, who are the lynchpin of the industry:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/16/the-second-best-time-is-now/#the-point-of-a-system-is-what-it-does

The other witnesses were fascinating – and chilling, There was a lawyer from the AARP who explained how data-brokers would let you target ads to categories like "seniors with dementia." Then there was someone from the Pentagon, discussing how anyone could do an ad-buy targeting "people enlisted in the armed forces who have gambling problems." Sure, I thought, and you don't even need these explicit categories: if you served an ad to "people 25-40 with Ivy League/Big Ten law or political science degrees within 5 miles of Congress," you could serve an ad with a malicious payload to every Congressional staffer.

Now, that's just the data brokers. The real action is in ad-tech, a sector dominated by two giant companies, Meta and Google. These companies claim that they are better than the unregulated data-broker cowboys at the bottom of the food-chain. They say they're responsible wielders of unregulated monopoly surveillance power. Reader, they are not.

Meta has been repeatedly caught offering ad-targeting like "depressed teenagers" (great for your next incel recruiting drive):

https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/05/01/105987/is-facebook-targeting-ads-at-sad-teens/

And Google? They just keep on getting caught with both hands in the creepy commercial surveillance cookie-jar. Today, Wired's Dell Cameron and Dhruv Mehrotra report on a way to use Google to target people with chronic illnesses, people in financial distress, and national security "decision makers":

https://www.wired.com/story/google-dv360-banned-audience-segments-national-security/

Google doesn't offer these categories itself, they just allow data-brokers to assemble them and offer them for sale via Google. Just as it's possible to generate a target of "Congressional staffers" by using location and education data, it's possible to target people with chronic illnesses based on things like whether they regularly travel to clinics that treat HIV, asthma, chronic pain, etc.

Google claims that this violates their policies, and that they have best-of-breed technical measures to prevent this from happening, but when Wired asked how this data-broker was able to sell these audiences – including people in menopause, or with "chronic pain, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, arthritis, high cholesterol, and hypertension" – Google did not reply.

The data broker in the report also sold access to people based on which medications they took (including Ambien), people who abuse opioids or are recovering from opioid addiction, people with endocrine disorders, and "contractors with access to restricted US defense-related technologies."

It's easy to see how these categories could enable blackmail, spear-phishing, scams, malvertising, and many other crimes that threaten individuals, groups, and the nation as a whole. The US Office of Naval Intelligence has already published details of how "anonymous" people targeted by ads can be identified:

https://www.odni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ODNI-Declassified-Report-on-CAI-January2022.pdf

The most amazing part is how the 33,000 targeting segments came to public light: an activist just pretended to be an ad buyer, and the data-broker sent him the whole package, no questions asked. Johnny Ryan is a brilliant Irish privacy activist with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. He created a fake data analytics website for a company that wasn't registered anywhere, then sent out a sales query to a brokerage (the brokerage isn't identified in the piece, to prevent bad actors from using it to attack targeted categories of people).

Foreign states, including China – a favorite boogeyman of the US national security establishment – can buy Google's data and target users based on Google ad-tech stack. In the past, Chinese spies have used malvertising – serving targeted ads loaded with malware – to attack their adversaries. Chinese firms spend billions every year to target ads to Americans:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/business/google-meta-temu-shein.html

Google and Meta have no meaningful checks to prevent anyone from establishing a shell company that buys and targets ads with their services, and the data-brokers that feed into those services are even less well-protected against fraud and other malicious act.

All of this is only possible because Congress has failed to act on privacy since 1988. That's the year that Congress passed the Video Privacy Protection Act, which bans video store clerks from telling the newspapers which VHS cassettes you have at home. That's also the last time Congress passed a federal consumer privacy law:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Privacy_Protection_Act

The legislative history of the VPPA is telling: it was passed after a newspaper published the leaked video-rental history of a far-right judge named Robert Bork, whom Reagan hoped to elevate to the Supreme Court. Bork failed his Senate confirmation hearings, but not because of his video rentals (he actually had pretty good taste in movies). Rather, it was because he was a Nixonite criminal and virulent loudmouth racist whose record was strewn with the most disgusting nonsense imaginable).

But the leak of Bork's video-rental history gave Congress the cold grue. His video rental history wasn't embarrassing, but it sure seemed like Congress had some stuff in its video-rental records that they didn't want voters finding out about. They beat all land-speed records in making it a crime to tell anyone what kind of movies they (and we) were watching.

And that was it. For 37 years, Congress has completely failed to pass another consumer privacy law. Which is how we got here – to this moment where you can target ads to suicidal teens, gambling addicted soldiers in Minuteman silos, grannies with Alzheimer's, and every Congressional staffer on the Hill.

Some people think the problem with mass surveillance is a kind of machine-driven, automated mind-control ray. They believe the self-aggrandizing claims of tech bros to have finally perfected the elusive mind-control ray, using big data and machine learning.

But you don't need to accept these outlandish claims – which come from Big Tech's sales literature, wherein they boast to potential advertisers that surveillance ads are devastatingly effective – to understand how and why this is harmful. If you're struggling with opioid addiction and I target an ad to you for a fake cure or rehab center, I haven't brainwashed you – I've just tricked you. We don't have to believe in mind-control to believe that targeted lies can cause unlimited harms.

And those harms are indeed grave. Stein's Law predicts that "anything that can't go on forever eventually stops." Congress's failure on privacy has put us all at risk – including Congress. It's only a matter of time until the commercial surveillance industry is responsible for a massive leak, targeted phishing campaign, or a ghastly national security incident involving Congress. Perhaps then we will get action.

In the meantime, the coalition of people whose problems can be blamed on the failure to update privacy law continues to grow. That coalition includes protesters whose identities were served up to cops, teenagers who were tracked to out-of-state abortion clinics, people of color who were discriminated against in hiring and lending, and anyone who's been harassed with deepfake porn:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/06/privacy-first/#but-not-just-privacy

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/20/privacy-first-second-third/#malvertising

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[midnight--sadness]

happy birthday to our short king, hwang inho 🙌🎉

[cohoai]

Net Retention Rate - Coho AI

Net Retention Rate (NRR) is a key metric for any B2B software as a service (SaaS) company, but it becomes particularly important in times of economic recession. NRR measures the percentage of a company’s existing customers that continue to use and pay for its services from one period to the next. https://www.coho.ai/blog/maximizing-b2b-saas-revenue-with-nrr-why-it-matters-and-how-to-do-it/

[dallaswinstons]

'well if only pony followed darry's conflicting-helicopter parent instructions, then he would be safe from violence that the book has already illustrated as senseless' — some of yall start to sound like ronald reagan with these darry defense posts 😭 i just don't think the "crime" of being 14 and deserving a degree of personal freedom or autonomy is a bad or irresponsible thing for a teen to have actually!!

[peppyhubblog]

Looking for the best shopify apps for coming soon and products with a coming soon tag? Here are the 10 best coming soon apps you should use, free or paid, based on hundreds of recommendations.

[foldingfittedsheets]

One of my earlier jobs in life was at a little pizza place. I worked there when it was first starting up. It’s the only job I’ve ever been fired from.

Anyway! For this story to make sense I’ve first got to set the stage. This pizza place started out as the Wild West of management but one of the original investors was super committed to work programs through the prison. We hired a ton of ex convicts and they were all, to a one, super hyped on Christianity. Like born again for the sole purpose of lauding Christ with their every breath.

I was raised without any religion which I liked very well. Throughout my life people have tried to inform me about their religion and I end up deeply resenting it. I’m good. I’m vibing. I’m staying in my lane. I’ve also had more than enough microaggressions for being queer that I get skittish around people who are especially devout.

I hadn’t been working there long but I’d definitely noticed the Jesus bug had gone around, I tried to steer clear of the topic for my own safety as much as possible.

The day our story takes place, I was folding boxes. Anyone whose ever worked pizza can attest, there’s so much box folding. It’s something that happens at every lull, the pizza machine demands box folding on a grand and epic scale.

On my right folding his stack of boxes was a guy wider than he was tall, made of pure muscle, Corey. He was newer on staff, and due to a stutter he didn’t talk much. All I knew about him was that he got hired through the rehabilitation program and had done time.

On my left folding was a tall middle-aged woman who loved to yell at me, Cindy. She and I rubbed each other the wrong way and had nothing in common, leading to a tense working relationship.

We folded boxes in silence. This was really my best case scenario as a quiet Cindy was a Cindy not riding my ass, and Corey intimidated me.

But the weight of the silence grew too much for Cindy, who finally said, “I really want to go to bible school.”

I folded a box. I had less than no idea what bible school even was and I didn’t want to get sucked into a religious topic.

On my right Corey said, “W-why, Cindy?”

“Well, cause I believe what’s in the Bible, but I just don’t know it all.”

He nodded sagely to this.

Cindy continued, “And every time I sit down to read the Bible I get real sleepy. And I know it’s the devil.”

It’s so hard to convey her tone in written format. It was delivered with the emphasis and exasperation of an inevitable inconvenience. Like, I just know it’s the squirrels eating the bird seed.

I froze in place at this pronouncement. My only exposure to Lucifer was Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comics and I was trying to mentally twist into a frame of mind where The Morningstar cared enough about this one middle aged lady expanding her knowledge of the Bible that he followed her around cursing her with sleepiness when she picked it up.

I think I expected Corey to say, “Well that’s silly,” or something to acknowledge what a bizarre thing Cindy had just said.

Instead he said, “Yeah!” In a tone of complete agreement.

I didn’t look up. I tried to keep my face neutral at this development.

But something must have shown. Corey said, “You don’t believe in God?”

I shrugged casually and said, “If I did I wouldn’t talk about it at work.”

“C-cause it’s t-true. If y-you t-ry to r-read the B-bible on unsanctif-fied gr-round the d-devil m-makes you s-sleepy!”

I made a noncommittal sound and fled into the back room.

Over the next week it drove me crazy though. The logic of it wouldn’t leave me alone so finally one day when it was just Corey and I in front, and the restaurant was empty, I said, “Hey man, I have a question.”

He shrugged and listened.

“I really don’t mean this with any disrespect, I just genuinely want to know about the logistics-“

“J-ust ask.”

“Okay, so if Cindy gets tired when she reads any book, is it only the devil making her tired when it’s the Bible?”

His face went purple with fury and he yelled, “F-fuck you!” at my retreating back as I fled once more into the back room.

It will forever remain a mystery.

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

rewatching sk8 the infinity and one thing that I missed the first time around is just how carefully Adam curates his actions in his pursuit of Langa. every detail in what he does is carefully tailored to groom and isolate Langa further. and a major example of that is when Adam challenges Reki to their second race.

he does it as a direct respond to watching Langa and Reki make up on his fucking spy cameras. he doesn’t like that Langa repaired that friendship. He wanted him to stay isolated and lost. And he designs his challenge to Reki to sever that relationship again.

He challenges Reki in a note written in English. That’s not Reki’s native language, and it’s not Adam’s either. And it’s not one either of them are shown to be proficient in. It’s Langa’s native language. Langa has to translate it for Reki. Even though the challenge is to Reki, the entire thing is demonstrably for Langa’s sake.

The note calls Reki the third wheel. He makes Langa explain that Reki’s the unwanted, unneeded addition that Adam wants to cull. And Adam doesn’t even try to hide that that’s what’s this is about, because he says it. The race is about to start, and he tells Reki that he’s doing this so that Reki ends up screaming in a pile of pain, and he wants Langa to see it.

If he had actually managed to injure Reki the way he planned, that would have potentially isolated Langa again the way he wanted to. If you love anyone but me, I’ll put them in the hospital. Safer for everyone else if you’re alone.

Because he’s an abuser that wants to be the only one in Langa’s world. So he’ll hurt everyone Langa loves, and he’ll make sure Langa knows it was about him, right down to what language he uses.