Ads that track online purchases are spoiling Christmas.
One-third of people say targeted advertisements, which are based on tracking browsing history across websites, have spoiled gift surprises for them in the past, and 19% say it has happened "once or twice," according to a survey of more than 1,500 North Americans by digital advertising firm GumGum.
How does this happen? A family, for instance, that shares a computer or tablet can see the same ads for a gift someone earlier bought or viewed.
To avoid the issue, 16% of respondents say they don't browse holiday gifts online.
But 32% of respondents say they would prefer shopping with a brand that has a "holiday mode" to keep targeted ads from spoiling gift ideas.
“This isn’t just about unethical and invasive advertising anymore—identity-based targeted ads are actively ruining meaningful holiday moments,” GumGum Chief Marketing Officer Kerel Cooper said. “Advertisers who ignore these frustrations risk alienating consumers when it matters most.”
The survey comes at a time when people worry about how their browing history and personal information is being tracked for advertising without their permission.
Among the 100 most-visited U.S. websites, 75 shared or sold personal data to third-party advertisers even after users told them not to, according to a review of websites by privacy-compliance firm Privado.