There’s no one following me around the supermarket

Why do I always see exactly what I am interested in on the internet? Personalised advertising has its advantages, but it is often annoying and can have unwanted effects on users. This blog post is a peek into an ongoing research project on this topic. The project explores how internet users experience personalisation and how the risks, benefits and choices can be better explained to them. There are many misconceptions in the public debate about personalisation.

The problem of cookie banners

We are confronted with personalised advertising in many places on the web. As we browse and use applications, a lot of information about our interests and disinterest is collected. This information is used to display relevant ads and content. What information is collected about us and what happens behind the scenes to show us tailored content is explained in so-called cookie banners. Cookies are small files that allow websites to recognise users. Cookie banners are the small messages that appear on websites to inform users why and for what purpose recognition is used. However, the explanations in these banners are usually so complicated that most people do not understand them (Grafenstein/Heumüller et al, 2021). To better explain what happens to get personalised results and what risks and benefits they bring, the ‘Sicher im Datenverkehr’ (SiD) project is investigating the perspectives of everyday internet users on this issue.

Issues from the users’ perspective

What are users’ experiences of personalised advertising on the internet? To get to know more about this, the research project conducted interviews with internet users, asking them about their observations and opinions. Several issues emerged during these interviews. In general participants criticised the excessive amount of advertising. They were concerned about being persuaded by advertising to buy products they neither needed nor wanted. Another point of criticism was the lack of transparency about what information is stored about them. Many users also find it uncomfortable and undesirable for companies to collect and store information about them. Although the mere storage of user data does not directly affect users, the practice is still viewed with great unease. But what exactly is the reason for this feeling? 

The interviews provided some insights. Many participants referred to the physical world to illustrate their concerns about cookies. Two examples show why the mere collection of data can be perceived as uncomfortable. One participant highlighted this by comparing it to personal interactions: “[…] apart from computers, when I talk to people, there are those I am very familiar with and I can talk to them about almost anything. In a business context, of course, I wouldn’t start talking to my electrician about my health problems […]”. He draws a parallel between digital and analog interactions, emphasising that sharing information about his health in a business context is unusual. However, for personalised content delivery, such information could be collected and used to display relevant information and advertisement.

Another example illustrates why the mere collection of data, even if it has no immediate impact on people, can feel uncomfortable. The participant put it this way: “I would find it very strange if someone followed me through the grocery store and noted which department I went to and when.” Data collection is illustrated here by describing a person observing behaviour that may seem uncomfortable, even if it is not happening in this way.

What do users do?

Users try different ways to avoid unwanted data collection. For example, are they using ad blockers or changing their settings to see less personalised ads. One user explained: “For me, if there is a ‘reject all’ or ‘deny all’ button, I usually choose it.” This suggests that rejecting cookies is seen as preventing data collection, although this is not necessarily the case. Advertisers can still use other information to identify users and classify their behaviour. Ad blockers also hide ads that are perceived as annoying. However, this deprives companies of revenue that funds free internet services.

Benefits of personalisation

Personalisation is not just annoying. Participants also see benefits, as the following statement shows: “In other areas, personalisation is simply an increase in convenience and, to some extent, usability”. (4M25, point 14)

Personalised advertising on the Internet can improve the user experience by tailoring content, advertising and recommendations to individual interests and preferences. This helps users find relevant information and products more quickly. Features such as automatic logins and personalised homepages contribute to a more convenient and seamless user experience. Surfing the web becomes more efficient and enjoyable.

What next?

The SiD research project shows that users see both advantages and disadvantages in personalised advertising on the Internet. They appreciate the convenience that personalised suggestions can offer when displaying relevant ads and recommendations, but they also see negative aspects. The lack of transparency in data collection makes people uncomfortable and leads many to use ad blockers or adjust their privacy settings.

The project aims to understand where certain ideas and narratives stem from, and tries to develop new narratives that inform users about the impact of personalisation and specific data processing methods. The aim is to bridge the gap between users’ understanding and experts’ judgements, making it easier to explain data processing methods. This will enable citizens to better decide what they want to use and what they do not want to use in the context of personalisation. As the project moves on, educational materials will be developed based on these findings to inform citizens about the benefits, risks and options for action regarding personalisation on the Internet.

References

Grafenstein, Max von, Julie Heumüller, und Timo Jakobi. „Die Gestaltung wirksamer Bildsymbole für Verarbeitungszwecke und ihre Folgen für Betroffene Mithilfe einer interdisziplinären Forschungsmethodologie“. In Alexander Boden, Timo Jakobi, Gunnar Stevens, Christian Bala (Hgg.): Verbraucherdatenschutz-Technik und Regulation zur Unterstützung des Individuums, 1–20, 2021.