You may have been logged in to Facebook while browsing certain products. You may also fit a target demographic that a business requested their ads get shown to. Another reason could be that you've purchased from that company before and it's specifically targeted you.

Though most ads are used to promote legitimate products and services, some ads engage in misleading, deceptive, and in some cases illegal practices — impacting users financially, wasting their time and attention, and spreading scams, misinformation, and malware.

Nearly 3 out of every 4 users (74%) think there are too many ads. The number grows to 78% for adults 35+ years old. 63% of users say they only see a few things advertised, over and over again. 44% of users find the ads irrelevant to their wants and needs.

Research suggests that advertising clutter, where too much space is dedicated to ads, can lead to reduced audience interest in editorial content. Additionally, clutter can result in decreased brand recall among viewers, impacting the effectiveness of advertising.