E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Rosa Golijan/msnbc.com
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler might've sung about a "dude [who] looks like a lady," but Google's convinced that a lady — yours truly — has the Internet browsing habits of a dude.
Seems odd, no? But here's a screenshot showing my Google Ad Preferences Manager and all the things Google has inferred about me based on the websites I visit. Please note that I have not edited or removed any of the categories and demographics.
The categories Google believes I'm interested in are accurate for the most part, though my interest in make-up is — much to my girlier friends' disdain — certainly not as significant as Google would have one believe. The demographics on the other hand are quite a bit off. While Google almost nailed my age range, it most definitely did not guess my gender correctly.
Thankfully there's a decent explanation for this quirky inaccuracy.
Many websites are part of the Google Display Network, a service which enables Google to show ads on those websites. Now since Google wants to show you ads that are relevant to you and your interests, it doesn't want to select them just based on the content of the sites you visit. So it quietly keeps track of the types of sites you visit in the Google Display Network and on partner sites in order to discover what appears to interest you the most.
Now before you panic, you should know that — according to Google — no personal information is recorded during this tracking process.
Here's how the company says the whole thing works:
Suddenly the information Google inferred about me makes a lot more sense.
Many of the websites I visit on a regular basis have predominantly male audiences. So Google assumes it's fairly likely I must be a manly man as well.
A manly man who is obsessed with make-up, that is.
If you'd like to know what Google has inferred about you and your interests, just peek at the Google Ads Preference Manager while logged into your Google Account. If you're more concerned about how to opt out of the interest-tracking cookies, then you should scroll to the very bottom of the page to find the necessary links and plug-ins.
Related stories:
- New Google account users forced to join Google+
- You can now circle the White House on Google+
- Google Maps will now warn you about emergency situations
Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.
Leave a Comment:
That's who google uses to basically keep track of your web browsing behavior in order to tailor advertising to your interests. In the words of google, they're "making advertising more fun for the user!".
I can't even remember the last time I saw an online ad unless there was a video I wanted to watch and it had a brief 10-15 second spot. Adblock, No Script and ghostery is all you really need to avoid just about everything, especially Ghostery as it allows you to block all of those tracking cookies. These new google advertising policies are totally irrelevant if they can't track you in the first place.
I don't think Google is going to be successful in "making advertising more fun" for me, since they've pegged me as an 18-24-yr-old male. They couldn't be more wrong!
do u end up with those issues like the site tells u it wont work unless cookies are on?
A site not functioning like that would have more to do with the 'No Script' add-on b/c what you're describing is more akin to the blocking or denial of active java script that would normally be displayed as an ad or some kind of video that would automatically be shown when you open a particular web page. It could even have to do with certain layouts and you do have to train your no-script app a little bit for the pages you frequently visit.
I've only noticed the Ghostery app negate external facebook interfaces so far, it seems to work perfectly with everything else and I would consider it a well established application.
In regards to the facebook interface mentioned above, if you've ever seen a blog, chat forum or some of the MSNBC articles where they have a facebook interface (instead of the newsvine interface we're using here) that you can log into and post something with your facebook account being used as a local log in; those can be affected by blocking a specific tracking cookie b/c those cookies are being used to shuttle the login info back and forth between facebook.com and whatever site you're trying to use your facebook account on.
That being said, the actual facebook.com page has zero issues.
I've just started using adblock and I love it! Thanks for the steer.
awesome, thanks for the heads up, im gonna look into these
HA! They pegged me the same - male, 25-34. Who likes beauty and fitness, shopping, and fiber arts. Trust me, they are way off on both.
I would suggest that Google thinks you are a transgender. After - none of the Guy friends I know use makeup. Now if you are going theough a sex change then its a different story. Don't feel bad - I continue to get e-mail to join the national asssn. of professional women. I'm thinking of taking them up on it!
Google search is WORTHLESS... it's based on popularity and NO LONGER based on content.
Android is unsafe, but most people are used to Windows millions of viruses so no big deal... I prefer a safer closed system...
Android attacks now outpace all other mobile platforms, says McAfee - http://tinyurl.com/42ry2p6
Android Seeing 'Malware Epidemic'
Mobile devices running on Google's Android operating system are experiencing a "malware epidemic," with the amount of malicious software having risen nearly fivefold since July, according to a post by the security research division of Juniper Networks. - http://tinyurl.com/7nrfofh
Android Trojan Turns Up
You know that your personal computer is vulnerable to Trojans, worms, and other nasty malware. But at least your mobile devices is safe. Right? Trend Micro researchers have found a data-harvesting Trojan lurking in Android Market. http://tinyurl.com/3bg8le6
Study: 99% of Android devices vulnerable to attack
A study shows that 99 percent of Android devices are vulnerable to a security attack which allows hackers to access their Twitter, Facebook, or Google accounts. http://tinyurl.com/6fbzuyl
Study: Android malware up 400 percent
Every time you carry your mobile device out and about, you're making criminals' jobs easier, as exposure to security risks on mobile devices is higher than ever, especially on application downloads, with Android malware up 400 percent and Wi-Fi networks increasingly vulnerable to attack. -- http://tiny.cc/1m677
First big infection highlights vulnerability of Android's openness
Android users beware: more than 50 apps in the official Android Market have been discovered containing malware that could have compromised sensitive and personal data. -- http://tiny.cc/cc156
Over 4 years an no malware on iPhone/iPad... a closed system has it's advantages.
Really, durt_bagg? Troll much?
I'm an iPhone user myself, but still... What the h3ll does what you're spouting have to do with the article on which you're commenting, which is about Google advertising?
Get a life and go start a flaming war about Android on an article about... wait for it... Android.
Ditto - and can I have an "amen"?
I get so tired of boors. (Except when I'm in Holland!)
I use AdBlock Plus whenever I browse. Google says it has NO preferences or demographics on me.
And I still manage to know/hear about products I like, because I go looking for them on Gizmodo or gaming sites. Thanks, Adblock!