We’ve all had that moment after having a casual conversation when we open our phones, start scrolling…

…and immediately see an advertisement for the exact thing we were just talking about.

Blame it on the dark side of behavioural targeting.

At its best, behavioural targeting has the power to bring shoppers back to your store, get them to engage with your content, and convince them to take whatever action you most want them to take—driving higher user engagement, conversion rates, and marketing return on investment.

But at its worst, it can cross boundaries many consumers hold sacred.

As marketers continue to adjust the way they learn about and communicate with their customers in the wake of Apple’s iOS privacy updates and data privacy regulations like the GDPR and CTIA, behavioural targeting based on third-party cookies and tracking pixels may raise ethical issues—and, just as concerning, wind up scaring people off in a way you find it tough to come back from.