What kind of ads do you get served on Facebook or Instagram?

You know, there was a time when Instagram really thought that I was like a woman judging

by the number of menstrual products that I was advertised and I found it actually pretty

hilarious.

That's our colleague Sam Schechner.

He's a technology reporter based in Paris.

But then sometimes it's uncannily accurate to what you're interested in or looking for

and then, you know, it's like, well, I guess, yeah, sure, I will buy that product.

I get a lot of ads for cooking, various recipe websites and Instagram has figured out that

I have, you know, young kids and turns out they need to eat every day.

Have you ever actually bought anything from these ads?

I actually did, um, I bought like a bike bag, a bike bag that, like, clipped onto my

bike rack, which turns out to be something I use all the time because I try to bike

to work.

They know what ads to serve you.

Advertising is crucial to Metta's business.

Last year, Metta, which is the parent of Facebook and Instagram, earned more than $113 billion

in ad revenue.

But that business model has come under threat, especially in Europe.

In recent years, the European Union has set out to rein in how tech companies collect

and use consumer data.

That's pushing Metta to try something at once rejected, an ad-free subscription option.

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