Google and Facebook are the most visited websites at the moment, currently ranked 1 and 2 on Alexa respectively. However, few people know that they store your private data in their servers. And not only that, they use this data to show you targeted Interest Based Ads.
Let’s take Google as an example. You search frequently on Google about things you have an interest in. Google stores all of your search terms, along with your emails and data from almost all Google services you use and uses this data to build an online profile about you. This profile shows what your interests are, which in turn helps predict which items you are most likely to invest in. Using this profile, they show you interest based ads so that you are mostly likely to check those ads.
Facebook, on the other hand, stores data such as your conversations, profile posts, posts you like and share to build a similar profile. This is the reason why the ads you find on Facebook and Google search results match your interests. Fortunately, for those who are like me and don’t prefer this tracking, there is a simple way to opt out of interest based ads.
1. Google’s interest based ads
Google uses your search results to show you ads tailored according to your interests in both their search results as well as websites which display Google ads. Follow this link to opt out of these ads. You will find the toggle button at the bottom of the page.
2. Google’s Shared Endorsements
Have you seen those ads where you find one of your friends have reviewed the item? That’s the magic of shared endorsements. Google uses your Google+ profile to view the people you are connected with, and then show you ads based on items they have purchased.
Visit this page, and scroll down where there will be a checkbox. Uncheck it and click on save to opt out of shared endorsements.
3. Facebook Ads
Facebook shows you ads based on the posts you share and like. Check out this page to turn off this feature. You will see an option at the top of the page asking if you would like to view advertisements based on your usage of apps and websites. Click on edit and turn it off.
Also Read: How to see who views your Facebook profile
4. Twitter Ads
Twitter is in the same boat as Google and Facebook. Their targeted ad campaign uses your tweets and profile information to understand your interests and show you matching advertisements. Fortunately, turning it off is easy. Visit this page and uncheck the checkbox in the promoted content section to opt out.
These are the major websites which show you interest based ads. Other websites use this feature too, although they don’t store your data in their servers. Instead, they store cookies in your machine when you visit their website. Cookies usually don’t leak your private data since they are stored in your own machine, but if you still want to get rid of those, you can easily turn it off. Go to settings in your favorite browser, where you will find an option about accepting cookies. Turn it off and you are done.
