Papa Johns Is Tracking Your Grocery Shopping to Time Their Ads

Papa Johns has partnered with NBCUniversal, Instacart, and the advertising agency Carat to track when families are running low on groceries. Their goal is to show you pizza ads at the exact moment when you're most likely to be hungry and need food. The company describes this as knowing what's in your fridge without being too creepy. This affects anyone who uses Instacart for grocery delivery or shops at stores that share purchase data with advertisers. If you've noticed pizza ads appearing right when you need dinner, this surveillance based system may be why. Your grocery shopping patterns are being monitored and shared to predict when you'll be most vulnerable to food advertising.

Here's what you should do right now. First, review your privacy settings on Instacart and any grocery store apps you use. Look for options to limit data sharing with third parties. Second, consider using browser extensions that block tracking cookies and advertising trackers. Third, be aware that grocery loyalty cards often track every purchase you make and sell that data. You can ask to opt out of data sharing programs at your grocery store's customer service desk. For long term protection, think carefully about which apps and loyalty programs you really need. Every app you install and every loyalty card you scan gives companies more information about your daily life. Read privacy policies before signing up for new services. Consider paying with cash occasionally at grocery stores if you want to keep some purchases private. Teaching your kids about how their data gets collected and used will help them make smarter choices as they grow up.