I think some of you are (a fair bit) older than me. Although the forum is for over fifties, there are quite a few over 65 and above. I mentioned 45- 60. I haven’t received any marketing for funerals etc. I do get ads about travel, car boot sales, clothes, for some reason the rolling stones (recent), socks (because I was talking to the sony tv!), the guardian (annoying), trainers, bathrooms among others. Some will be possibly purchased products, some seems influenced by the tastes of people in my peer group.
My octogenerian mum gets mailshots for care homes. No idea where they got her details.
We can look at your existing customer data. Based on your business needs and objectives, we help you to profile and segment your customer data to understand common characteristics such as geodemographic, lifestyle, socio-economic, financial, interests, and spending habits.
I wonder whether it’s the online pharmacy that took over during covid lockdown that has sold details…she gets upset when she sees the letters. Thinks there is a conspiracy my brother and I have cooked up to put her in a home.
Public sources like the directory enquiry service 192.com give rough ages for people. So a lot of information is freely available & within the public domain.
What! Are you saying directory enquiries will give the enquirer the rough age of the person they are trying to contact? Or do they guess the age of the enquirer and pass that info on to google & others.
Debt collectors? They need an age range to work from if someone has a common name? Someone turned up at our house, once, looking for someone who lived here previous to us. I didn’t have a clue who they were talking about because they were looking for someone far younger than the person (with the same name) was.
Have you checked your google Ad Personalisation page?
adssettings.google .com (without the space)
I’ve got a list of about 200 targets, starting with
65+ years old, John Lewis, Specsavers, IKEA …
You can turn it off, you can control the ads you see.
I just leave it on, but I have Adblocker to block ads on websites. I have an Android Pad without and I do see ads from some of the people on that list.
I’ve never had an email or snailmail from anyone other than a shop like Boots I once gave my details to. Of course I get the odd scam, but nothing personalised.
On my phone I get some pretty sophisticated ad video on YouTube, I think it’s because I’ve installed the YT app rather than visited the site like any other. They don’t appear to be directed at me: the new electric Mini, for example, I’ve never googled that. And of course one can tap skip, but that Mini looks nice.
I’ve been using BRAVE Browser for years on tablet and phone. It has tracker removers and other pop-up blockers. I clean my history every time after I visit anything.
However, my biggest problem has been with Google and my YouTube channel. Around March 2023, my settings suddenly changed. I was notified as I opened the YouTube app. This came shortly after the news mentioned new laws passed in USA for privacy.
Nowadays, I no longer can view certain videos, I get messages of “Age Restricted Videos” and “Prove your age before you can view…”
It’s offensive when you’re over 60 and in mourning. I’ve check the site tonight to see what’s required to prove age. Wow! Not asking much aren’t they?
A credit card (but will be reimbursed)
OR
An ID with pictures either driver’s license (mine was lost in pandemic, I still have to write to them and find funds)
OR
Passport!!!
Seriously?
Why have I bothered entering my full birthdate proving my age in my Google Gmail profile/accounts?
Any of you gone through that crap here in UK? Seriously, I’m fed up of this. I’ve just celebrated a birthday this past Friday. I thought the golden years were supposed to be easier than this…
By the way, why can’t we contact them by email direct? Hiding behind isn’t good, they’re up to no good when they act that way, yes?
You sound bitter so that I almost don’t dare say anything. Still, I think you know that stating your age is not proving it. I agree it’s a bit of a hassle but we shouldn’t forget what the rationale for all that is: to at least try and protect youngsters from certain content no matter how futile it may be. Despite all its weaknesses the voluntary self-regulation of the media is a result of public pressure and is better than nothing. Providing no restrictions at all is no option either. It may not comfort you but outside the UK you’d even have to prove your age if you wanted to view movies shown by public broadcasters after 10 pm.
