Avast ye landlubbers! Be warned, Reddit be settin' sail with targeted ads for all as she be chasin' gold!
2023-09-28
Avast ye, me hearties! Reddit be castin' off the option for ye scurvy dogs to control how them blasted advertisers be treatin' yer collected data. Aye, they be takin' away yer say, leavin' ye at the mercy of the landlubbers. Arrr, 'tis a treacherous sea we sail upon!
In a humorous tone, this article discusses the changes to Reddit’s privacy settings and how advertisers can track users’ activity on the platform. The post from the head of Privacy at Reddit reveals that users will no longer have the option to choose whether advertisers can track them based on their site activity. Most privacy settings, such as personalizing Reddit based on outbound links, Reddit activity, location, and activity with partners, have been removed. Only the option for personalized ads on Reddit based on information and activity from partners remains, with the possibility of toggling off activity on Reddit in certain unspecified regions, most likely European countries protected by GDPR.The article explains that Reddit will also introduce controls to limit certain categories of advertisements. However, it notes that some ads may still leak through since Reddit uses a combination of manual tagging and machine learning to classify ads. The current categories in the Safety & Privacy section of User Settings include alcohol, dating, gambling, pregnancy and parenting, and weight loss, but religion is noticeably absent.
The article humorously criticizes Reddit for becoming increasingly user-unfriendly. It mentions CEO Steve Huffman's attempts to increase revenue by eliminating third-party API services, which led to blackout protests from users. Reddit's decision to remove user control over data usage, apart from a vague toggle, seems influenced by GDPR regulations. The article also points out that the sensitive advertisement categories only limit the number of ads seen, without allowing their complete removal. It suggests that Reddit's lack of restrictions on religious ads may be due to their significant revenue contribution.
Overall, the article highlights the changes to Reddit's privacy settings, criticizes the platform's anti-user moves, and comments on the centralization and capitalization of the internet.