For the longest time I was getting Amazon ads on Instagram that were for products I had recently viewed - even viewed less than an hour before in some cases. Moreover, the Amazon account we use is my wife's, which we pay for Prime on. I would look at something on my phone, which is logged into her account, and then see the ad show up in my Instagram feed that day or a few days later.

Now, I get 90% ads for car parts and car accessories. I don't have a car, I don't drive, I don't have a license, and I don't even like to be in a car, but for whatever reason Amazon (or Instagram?) ads are assuming that what I really want are car parts and car accessories that I don't recognize, can't use, or don't understand.

It feels very stupid to me that those are the "default" ads I'm getting, even though I never tap on them for obvious reasons, but it's reassuring to know that they went from knowing exactly who I am and specifically what I had been looking at to having no clue whatsoever anything about me, or who I am or what I like.

No, this is when you notice there's a problem, that you're being tracked.

The problem is the tracking itself, whether you notice it or not. At least that's my opinion.

People set up their profile and they basically tell them everything about themselves.

Just like I doubt that people mind that Netflix gives you recommendations based on what you watched on Netflix.