Online ads based on location

OK, after complaining prematurely, I now have Firefox set with English as the only language. But when I read the Guardian or Observer online, I see a block of ads all in German. They look like Google ads, but it doesn’t say Google. They are headed ‘Advertiser links’, are on a small beige block of three or four. They seem to be related to the English stories on the page, but they’re German. I find this irritating – why would I read a paper in English and want to see ads in German?

Example – now (but not much longer) there is an article on inheritance tax problems, and accompanying it are German ads for easy loans.

I’m sure other readers know what is going on here and where they’re getting my location from!

3 thoughts on “Online ads based on location

  1. Most likely this is just geo-targeting based on your IP address. It looks like these ads are served from Overture, who I believe have a similar model to Google in regards to context related advertising. They probably determine through your T-Online IP address that you are based in Germany. Their ad server then sends the German ads, assuming that because you are in Germany you are most likely interested in a German product. Simple as that.

    But as you point out not perfect.

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