Targeted internet advertising - how does it happen? .privacy settings?

[frazzeled]

When ever I open pages on the internet via my ipad all the advertising is personally targeted at what've have been previously searching for. currently I am looking for bathrooms - so my mumsnet pages, and any other page I look at is full of bathroom adverts! I realise I should probably know this - but how does this happen? Is there something I need to do with privacy settings as clearly all my searches are monitored/stored/used somehow?

[SerenaJoy]

Witchcraft. That's my only explanation.

(Watching with interest, as this freaks me out.)

[frazzeled]

It is quite freaky!

[ilovemonstersinc]

Watching too. I thought it was something to do with cookies? I dunnnoò

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Its cookies. If you don't want it to happen you need to not allow sites to set cookies _ unfortunately if you do that loads of things won't work for you.

You may find this useful
mashable.com/2013/11/12/opt-out-data-tracking/

[DoctorTwo]

Get Ghostery and Self Destructing Cookies as add ons for your browser. You'll still get ads but they won't be based on what you've previously browsed. Also, enable HTTPS Everywhere in your browser, it encrypts your internet for more privacy.

[nannynick]

If you go to Truste.com you can set preferences for many of the ad networks.
(if you don't like clicking links, find an advert with a < in the top right corner, click that and then follow link to Set Preferences - though this may only set them for one ad network)

For a guide to Targeted Advertising, see Your Online Choices. "This website is written and funded by the internet advertising industry and supports a pan-European industry initiative to enhance transparency and control for online behavioural advertising."

[NetworkGuy]

One other thing about cookies is that some browsers allow you to enter a 'privacy' mode. So if you use privacy mode when looking for birthday presents, holiday destinations, etc, the next person using the computer won't get ads related to what you were doing (or at least there's less chance), so long as you close the browser when you finish.

(closing the browser means any temporary information, such as the cookies, can be deleted and then next time anyone browses, there's little to show you'd ever seen the website(s) before.)

Firefox calls it "Private Browsing" and when you switch to it, it closes the windows/ tabs currently open to do the "switch".

Similarly, Safari "switches" from "ordinary" to "Private Browsing".

Chrome can provide "ordinary" and "incognito" browsing at the same time.

Here's some text displayed by Chrome:

Pages you view in incognito tabs won’t stick around in your browser’s history, cookie store, or search history after you’ve closed all of your incognito tabs. Any files you download or bookmarks you create will be kept.

There's a web link for more information, and then it says:

Going incognito doesn’t hide your browsing from your employer, your internet service provider, or the websites you visit.

I suspect that's there to remind browser users that lots of things can be done to track the sites used by anyone, not all of them under "local" control (such as the browser).

[frazzeled]

Thank you! Will have a look at the links - thank you for your time to reply x

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Thank you thank you NetworkGuy the ads were driving me mad!

I have now turned on private browsing (ipad), signed into MN again as it had signed me out, turned off PB and BANG! The ads are gone

[WhereforeArtThou]

If you have IPhones or iPads with ios7 then follow the recommendations in THIS ARTICLE

Remember that if you clear your cookies or update your phone/ipad then you will have to redo these settings.

[jenninaa]

I think that targeted advertising can be really creepy. In some situations, it can be useful but mostly it's just scary. It's not nice that companies can use everything you do for advertising.

[cdtaylornats]

It is the stupidest thing about internet advertising. You've just bought something, here are some adverts for exactly the same thing.