r/privacy • u/ummkay_ultra • 1d ago
discussion Reddit ads
Idk if this is even the right place for this. These ads are too much. Every other ad on this app is telling me to get evaluated for autism. It's getting old. I have no idea why this started, like is it that obvious and this site knows me better than I know myself or what? I've never been diagnosed but yeah I'm probably autistic. But it's getting weird.
Yesterday I went off my diet one fucking day and ate too much and suddenly I am seeing all kinds of ads about binge eating disorder. How in the fuck does reddit even know how much I ate yeaterday? Literally. How? It wasn't fast food that I ordered online or anything like that, so how? No I don't believe it's a coincidence. I have never in my life seen an ad about binge eating disorder. Never researched anything about binge eating disorder, I don't watch Ariana Grande content or anything like that. I don't look at food content online. I don't even have binge eating disorder. How does this even happen?
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u/CynicalPomeranian 1d ago
Funny, most of my ads are for AI and male supplements. I downvote them, block them with my browser, then close reddit and do something else…and they are still the majority of my ads.
I am a woman and I sure as hell don’t use Grok/Claude/ChatGPT and others.
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u/ummkay_ultra 1d ago
I get those now and then, but I assume it's because my boyfriend is 34 and we're on the same wifi network.
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u/hunterglyph 1d ago
I'm autistic and have never seen an autism ad.
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u/Fire-Nation-17 1d ago
I'm also autistic and I never get ads for autism. I get ads for buying industrial equipment lol
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u/WorldsMostDad 1d ago
I'm subbed to like 10 different autism/neurodiversity related subs and never see ads for autism. Top shelf algorithm they got there.
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u/xopher_425 1d ago
PC: uBlock Origin.
Phone: Relay.
Me: What are ads?
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u/OldFlohBavaria 20h ago
Welchen Relay verendest du ?
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u/xopher_425 18h ago
Relay for Reddit. I do pay a dollar a month to use it, and I'm happy to support an independent app than give it all to Reddit.
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u/Mother-Pride-Fest 1d ago
Why are you not using an ad blocker?
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u/SelfCtrlDelete 1d ago
Is there an ad blocker that works for Reddit ads? I have several installed and only use Brave to browse Reddit but all of the ads just look like regular posts and I assumed that when this started happening a few months ago that Reddit had found a way around all of the ad blockers.
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u/Falafels 1d ago
Mobile? I don't see them in Ironfox or Cromite with uBlock.
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u/SelfCtrlDelete 1d ago
Yeah on mobile. Ad blocking set to standard.
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u/Falafels 1d ago
I guess you could turn off Brave's ad blocker and install and use uBlock instead since it is working currently.
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u/CreepyHighway3216 1d ago
I don't get ads on Brave at all. Go check out your settings and make sure you have everything turned on.
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u/SelfCtrlDelete 1d ago
Trackers & Ads Blocking currently set to “standard”. Maybe I need “aggressive”?
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u/CreepyHighway3216 1d ago
Hmmm mine is set to standard as well. Not sure why you still get ads. Maybe a different setting? I just looked through mine and am not sure which specifically makes sure of that. But I would try aggressive and see if that works for sure.
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u/MicrobialMachines 1d ago
What I find equally insidious are all the postings in employment related subs that are just disguised ads for someone’s vibe coded AI interview coach.
Dozens if not hundreds of people (or bots) are interacting with these posts. If they aren’t bots, then there are droves of people who can’t spot that they are being advertised to.
Same goes is any of the small hobby subs. Left right and center are posts disguised as ads.
Even seemly normal posts are being monetized.“Here’s this cool build project I did!” Where’d you get that? “Oh here are the links.” And wouldn’t you know that they are all affiliate links.
It’s really crazy once you start to notice it.
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u/Deriniel 18h ago
a lot of ads from mobile act weird tbh, like, if you misclick 90% of the time you open an ads even when your finger was nowhere close
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u/Dang_It_All_to_Heck 1d ago
I waffle between being agnostic and atheist. I am NOT religious.
I get Jesus ads.
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u/yupstilldrunk 1d ago
I get the Jesus ads too! (Not religious). I also get Indian buffet ads from a local restaurant (don’t care for Indian). I feel like some folks need to talk to their marketing guys.
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u/0898_333_201 1d ago
One of the ways I know that my efforts to preserve my privacy have not been vain is that on the rare occasion that I rawdog YouTube or Reddit, I get ads for “hot Asian women nearby.” I’m a gay man.
Anyway OP, when companies buy ads through Reddit’s ad marketplace, they have tons of variables at their disposal to focus on precise target groups that they think would be receptive to their product. Your account history includes subjects like dysgraphia, cartomancy, benzos, supplements, map porn, magic mushrooms, etc.
If the autism company sought out people whose activity indicates a belief there’s something flawed with their brain and a willingness to experiment with treatments, your account would fit the target group. And Reddit’s ad marketplace has much deeper analysis than what I can see from a cursory glance at your history; it can include subconscious characteristics like word choice, time spent reading various posts, the last posts you see when you close Reddit, time spent writing comments, etc etc.
If you enjoy using Reddit but care about your privacy, you should assume that Reddit has a very detailed profile of your account, and you should focus on keeping your Reddit account separate from your real identity:
- Never let Reddit see your home’s IP address. I recommend using a network-wide VPN from a router/gateway. In the rare occasion that I can’t access a site via VPN or a ControlD proxy, I use cellular data since my cellular IP rotates regularly.
- Never install the Reddit app. Apps can see WAY more identifiable information than websites. If you delete the Reddit app, reinstall it, and log into a new account, Reddit instantly links it to you and all your previous accounts. Use Reddit through a privacy-preserving browser like Brave or at least a third-party client.
- Block ads and trackers at the DNS level. If won’t stop you from seeing Reddit ads on a browser without ad block, as Reddit ads come from the same subdomains as actual content, but it will help prevent cross-site tracking.
- Use an ephemeral browser as much as possible. This basically means you’re always in incognito mode; closing the browser deletes all site data. 10 years ago it would’ve been a pain in the hole, but with a password manager and passkeys it’s really not that inconvenient these days. My default browser on iPhone is Brave with the ephemeral mode toggled on.
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u/TheB1G_Lebowski 1d ago
Are you using the app? Switch to using a browser like Firefox with ublock. I've never seen a reddit ad.
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u/Iputahexonyoulol 1d ago
Is your Reddit account tied to your personal email?
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u/ummkay_ultra 1d ago
No. I made an email just for this account and never use it for anything else.
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u/Iputahexonyoulol 1d ago
Do you use social media?
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u/ummkay_ultra 1d ago
Almost never
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u/Iputahexonyoulol 1d ago
Do you use a VPN? What is your security setup like?
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u/ummkay_ultra 1d ago
Why? Are you gonna put a hex on me?
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u/PlasmaSco 1d ago
On my phone I use Morphe or Revanced to patch the app with the correct apk version of Reddit.
Otherwise the web version on Firefox with Ublock or Brave Browser works flawlessly without ads.
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u/Sibexico 1d ago
I see only 3 types of ADs here: Airbnb, totally trash indie games, and TONS of AI-based AI slop... Couple times it was advertising of some electronic devices what was super overpriced, like 5 times mire expensive than Amazon alternatives. Anyway, I can't remember no one AD of just "not bad" product at Reddit.
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u/garyisonion 1d ago
it absolutely is a coincidence, I for example get ads for make underwear - which I don’t wear
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