We have said it before; it’s not entirely easy to be on the internet without one ad popping up here and there. Our lives have essentially become digital, a calculated string of algorithms and divisive use of keywords, ready and waiting to be harvested by advertisers.
But what do the algorithms, and the giant, ominous tech companies that operate them, know about us?
Well, with Instagram, if you are curious to why ‘The Ultimate Six-Pack app’ keeps popping up, it’s easy to find out as a Twitter user discovered this week.
Tap the menu button, then go to settings. Hit privacy and security, then under Security, tap access data. Scroll all the way to the very bottom and under Ads, tap Ads interests. There, you’ll get a list of everything IG will be using to help advertisers target you.
So if you keep getting ‘The Ultimate Six-Pack app’, Chances are you’ll see keywords like – Fitness, Feminism, Marvel, wedding, lifestyle, P.S You’ll also get some really outrageous results.
So, how does Instagram ultimately decide what you engage with?
“We want to show you ads from businesses that are interesting and relevant to you, and to do that, we use information about what you do on Instagram and Facebook (our parent company) and on third-party sites and apps you use, for example, you might see ads based on the people you follow and things you like on Instagram, your information and interests on Facebook (if you have a Facebook account), and the websites and apps you visit.”
Instagram
That said, Instagram knows us intimately but hey, it’s not that deep.
