The power of retargeting: what lies behind personalised online advertising.

You’re browsing the web and you look at a product. Suddenly it seems to follow you to every website you visit. That’s not a coincidence – it’s retargeting. But what exactly does that mean and how does it influence your browsing behaviour?

What is retargeting?

Retargeting is an online marketing technique that you’ve probably come across quite often without being aware of it. For example, when you look at an item in an online shop and the same product suddenly appears in ads on other websites. Does that sound familiar? If so, then you’ve experienced retargeting. But how does it all work?

Retargeting is used to re-approach visitors to a website who have left the site without taking any action (such as buying a product). This is made possible by cookies, which track your browsing behaviour and allow the retargeting technology to show you specific ads.

The connection between retargeting and cookies

But what are cookies? Cookies are small text files that are used by websites to identify users and track their behaviour. When you visit a website and accept the cookies, they are stored on your device. It is these little helpers that play a crucial role in retargeting and use the information to show you targeted ads. But what implications does this have for the protection of your data?

Data protection and retargeting

Data protection is a controversial topic when it comes to online advertising – and retargeting is no exception. Switzerland and the EU have strict data protection regulations in place which are intended to ensure that users understand what type of data is being collected and how it is being used.

So when you visit a website and are asked to accept cookies, you are allowing the website to collect certain information, which may include details of your online activities. This detailed information is useful for advertisers who use retargeting to show you targeted ads. But what implications does this have for your privacy and how can you protect it?

Here are some points that you should consider:

• Transparency: Websites are obliged to inform you about their use of cookies and to give you the opportunity to accept or reject them.
• Control: You have control over which cookies you accept. You can change your browser settings to block some or all cookies.
• Data security: Data that is collected for retargeting should be stored and processed securely. Ask yourself how much you trust the website collecting this data.

Ultimately it is up to you to decide how much you want to personalise your online experience and which information you are prepared to share.

Note: This article is part of the “Digital identity” series.