Does OzB use trackers and machine learning tools to create user profiles for third-party interests?

bigbadboogieman on 20/09/2020 - 20:41
Last edited 20/09/2020 - 20:42

I saw The Social Delimma on Netflix. From all of the doom and gloom, I took away that the monetization model for the big tech companies is the foundational problem which cannot be fixed unless the whole business model is overhauled.

I primarily use OzB. I don't have an Instagram or TikTok account. I do have Facebook but I am cautious with it. The key differentiator (in the documentary) was the fact that content displayed by the big tech companies is unique and targetted to the user, thereby prioritising the advertisers interests. I understand that OzB neither uniquely curates content nor shows ads to its registered users but I do feel addicted to it. So instead of assuming I decided to raise the question:

Does OzB creates any user profiles for third party interests?

Site Discussion

Comments

  • elgrande on 20/09/2020 - 20:43
    +14

    Yep. They auto generate accounts and post forum topics relating to uninsured drivers.

  • Moderatorneil on 20/09/2020 - 20:46

    No. You can see what data is collected in our privacy policy.

    There are however ads running on the site from Google etc that shows ads based on your interests based on your browsing history.

    • bigbadboogieman on 20/09/2020 - 21:46

      Hi there. Thanks for responding. I am not very tech savvy so a question just for my own clarification around How are 3rd party cookies used on OzB:

      Does Google or Publift have the ability to track individual user OzB posts visited, thereby work out a (rudimentary) user preference and then use the information to display relevant ads? For e.g. a user visits a Dyson V8 post on OzB and then suddenly starts seeing ads of Dyson V8 from TheGoodGuys on OzB and/or other websites?

      • AustriaBargain on 21/09/2020 - 02:44

        Well, yeah, that's what Google's ad system is all about. That's why it pays the ez $.

  • ozbargainsam on 20/09/2020 - 20:48

    Are you kidding? This community would be a gold mine.

    It doesn't take a particularly good AI to tell I like premium crap just from my tiny post history.

    • bigbadboogieman on 20/09/2020 - 21:33

      I guess the target market (OzB users) themselves is a niche target (people who like a good bargain), so curated content may not be required, coupled with with upvotes + badges reward mechanism to trigger dopamine effects? May be that's why people compete to post the same stiff like the next weekly EpicGames Game Drop and me looking up OzB every other hour to see what have I missed?

  • Hellcrusher3304 on 20/09/2020 - 21:02
    +1

    US Senators: "Write this down! Write this down!"

  • scotty on 20/09/2020 - 21:54
    +5

    The reality is we at OzBargain are just too cheap to hire some AI big head or data scientist. If you want curated deal listing, use the Front Page settings in your deals settings page to customise it yourselves. See this forum post.

    • bigbadboogieman on 20/09/2020 - 22:04

      Actually I don't want a curated list. It's kind of the reverse, i.e. to satisfy my curiosity regarding the concerns raised over Social Networks in the Netflix Documentary "The Social Delimma" and whether/how it applies to OzB. It primarily revolves around the Tech monetization model and how it started as an honest attempt to add value to humanity but ended up as a tool which is geared to generate more and more revenue by tracking, profiling, manipulating and persuading its users towards the third-party advertisers interest.

    • lgacb08 on 20/09/2020 - 22:06

      also to top up we OzBargainers are cheap too so it'll probably cost them a lot more to curate data and customise ads to milk out money from us lol, the only exception lately are probably the computer hardware addicts and coffee snobs that seems upvoting those deals tirelessly lately.

    • silverrat23 on 20/09/2020 - 22:33
      +5

      The reality is we at OzBargain are just too cheap to hire some AI big head or data scientist.

      That is (probably) the most Ozbargain thing I've heard of.

    • SF3 on 20/09/2020 - 23:16

      The OzB community (people) gives this site character. A deal post also works like a forum post so IMHO it is more social than other “social” platforms. Eg. I don’t need to know what someone had for breakfast or where they went or admire their new shiny object, OzB takes away the majority of the narcissist content - or the OP get negged for it.

      • ssquid on 21/09/2020 - 08:25

        But you know there's still a lot of underhanded shilling going on, right?

        • SF3 on 21/09/2020 - 09:13

          I've not through of it that way, but since you mentioned it… yes there are some posts that seem (strongly) bias towards offerings or what you ought to do with spending your $$, but personally I like to think my own "research" helps get me a more neutral view to make up my own mind - not to taken by hyper (or at least like to think so :) ).

          What were your experiences?

        • Moderatorneil on 21/09/2020 - 09:52

          Please report any suspicious posts. We spend a good deal of our moderation time removing sockpuppets and artificial voting. 44 posts removed in July

  • Lysander on 21/09/2020 - 19:41

    Could you maybe introduce a setting for users where ALL tracking etc. is prohibited?
    Or should we behave the same way as we do towards Google, FB etc. (at least those concerned about their data)?

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