Sometimes I wonder if targeted ads are just a giant hoodwinking by big tech over retail businesses. I constantly get youtube ads in languages I don't speak, for tampons or bras (I'm a man), or of musicians in genres I don't listen to. These all seem like extreme table-stakes targeting that can often be inferred from the singular video I'm watching alone, not even including my watch history.
I literally click "allow all" to tracking cookies everywhere. I also get completely inappropriate ads e.g. in languages I don't speak, for services to sell cars (I don't own a car) etc.
