Tell HN: Google is correlating location data to your IP

Hi HN, Is this a known thing? I'm pretty frustrated, and even given my near-complete disillusionment about capital-driven-tech these days, I can't believe Google is doing this.

I just got home from being in Mexico where I used my VPN (because of course US financial apps panic if you access them outside the US).

I fired up my LG TV running the YouTube app (which I'm not signed into) and every, single, ad is in Spanish.

My Edge browser on my desktop computer gives results in Mexico and claims I'm in Quintanna Roo. In many places, I cannot override this, at least without signing in and/or apparently explicitly feeding it more accurate location data to "fix" it's perception.

Is this expected/known? At one point, it even said "based on your IP address" despite the fact that my IP clearly looks up to a Washington State IP address.

I just wish I could make this known to Google's advertisers. Are they aware that when I travel, they're pay to show me ads that I can't understand?

Are all those devices logged in into your account? Maybe Google thinks you're Mexican because of your recent stay in Mexico and serves you content in Spanish. I'd check the language settings of the search engine, Google News, Android or iOS apps, the content of cookies in the browser, etc.

Every single advertising company is exploiting every single side channel that they can.

This should not surprise you.

It's getting very serious. I created an fresh anon Instagram account using a cellphone number that I used with FB. And voila, someone I know is a recommended for me to follow on Instagram. They have no shame. And no one is holding them accountable even with proof.

Sure. And in this case, they're showing me irrelevant ads, shopping results I can't use and more.

It's not surprising me, it's baffling me because it's just stupid to do this.