54% of Americans are creeped out by personalized advertising: YouGov report | Marketing Dive

A new YouGov report reveals that 54% of Americans feel uncomfortable with personalized ads based on online behavior, the highest level of discomfort among 17 surveyed markets. While younger consumers (Gen Z and Millennials) show a lower discomfort rate at 50%, older generations exhibit a higher anxiety at 62%. Most consumers express that ads linked to browsing history are the most invasive. Notably, 52% of Americans prefer having the option to opt-out, while 27% find personalized ads beneficial for discovery, with this being more pronounced among younger consumers. These insights highlight a need for marketers to reconsider their personalization strategies.

Discomfort with personalized advertising increases with age, with 62% of older generations feeling creeped out compared to 50% of younger consumers like Gen Z and Millennials.

As personalization grows more sophisticated, so do concerns about privacy and the boundaries between helpful recommendations and intrusive targeting, highlighting a significant disconnect for marketers.

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