4 ms·

I recently got tired of all the creepy targeted advertising, so I hit the nuclear option. Turned off all targeted ads on all social networks, cleared all cooki

I recently got tired of all the creepy targeted advertising, so I hit the nuclear option. Turned off all targeted ads on all social networks, cleared all cookies, all search histories, and installed the Disconnect Chrome extension. Also disabled all images in my email to stop those email trackers. I've always used an ad-blocker but I don't think that stops the data collection aspects of it. I've always known this is happening and previously I didn't care because you figure if you are going to get advertised to, why not make it relevant, right? Well, it's more complex than that, here are the problems I have with this kind of data tracking: 1. Data can we used against you in ways you might not understand or have considered. 2. It's a waste of money and resources. Think of all the extra bandwidth, server space, human time, that is spent on just trying to sell people more shit. 3. I don't like the idea of people making money off my data without my knowledge. 4. Targeted ads might distract me and cause me to waste extra time online. Bottom line -- I have a moral objection to the whole idea of it, and will do everything I can do stop it.

andmarios 9y ago
I tried it a couple years ago with Google and once targeted ads were off, I would get many ads about gay dating sites. Once I turned targeted ads on again, these ads disappeared.
- giancarlostoro 9y ago
  I had a similar experience, but it was single women, and there was no way to ask Google to stop showing me those types of ads. At the very least allow me to block adult advertisements. Maybe it's on purpose...
  - johansch 9y ago
    Maybe no-one ever made that call, and it's all just based on the results of continously running automated and fuzzed A/B experiments.
  - keithpeter 9y ago
    With me it is retirement planning... I am in that age range. I've just taken to either switching javascript off or using one of those hosts files that blocks most stuff.
- PhantomGremlin 9y ago
  Bah. I hate their attempts at targeting, either way. I normally don't see ads (NoScript, JS usually off). But when I do I sometimes see ads targeted at teenage girls (i.e. my kids). If the trackers can't get any info about me personally, they probably just default to analyzing other traffic from my shared IP address.
schoen 9y ago
By the way, some of the trackers may still be able to track you: https://panopticlick.eff.org/ https://panopticlick.eff.org/ (which does not even include all of the potential methods of browser fingerprinting) Hopefully over time Disconnect, Privacy Badger, and other tools will be able to recognize and interfere with or block a lot of these methods. I'm not sure what I think the long-term prognosis is.
PhasmaFelis 9y ago
I tried turning off targeted Google ads on my phone, and got only the worst ads possible from then on. Like, 100% strobing "YOUR PHONE HAS 37 VIRUSES, CLICK HERE TO CLEAN". Eventually I had to turn it back because ad-supported apps are nearly unusable with strobing banners at the bottom, which I'm sure was Google's intent.
- dublinben 9y ago
  Have you considered paying for the apps you use, or using open source apps (such as from F-Droid) that don't include ads?
  - PhasmaFelis 9y ago
    Many apps don't have paid versions, only ad-supported, and even more apps don't have open-source equivalents. I'm sure you're aware of this.
    - propogandist 9y ago
      install something like 3C, root your phone, disable all the analytics/ad-services from individual apps; also installing something like AdAway will block most ads via the Host file
    - 4ad 9y ago
      I use an iPhone, although I have used Android many years ago (purely because of open source convictions), and I didn't know this. God, it's awful. I try very hard to use only paid apps on iOS even if there are free apps because I don't want to support the data-mining industry (not that paid apps can't participate in it, but at least I hope it's less likely). Most apps cost less than a coffee, and personally I get more value out of the apps I use than from a cup of overpriced coffee.
  - j_s 9y ago
    Only ever open in airplane mode!
com2kid 9y ago
> I recently got tired of all the creepy targeted advertising, so I hit the nuclear option. Credit cards, mortgage providers, retail stores, and car dealers all sell customer information on the open market. Every cell phone company out there knows what provider you have, stores knows what type of clothing you like to buy. Wiping your computer clean prevents the ads from appearing on your PC, but the tracking of you is still taking place.
- jereees 9y ago
  What are some ways in which you can prevent this sort of real life tracking from happening or at least minimize it?
  - rubber_duck 9y ago
    Pay cash ?
  - mirimir 9y ago
    Pay cash. Don't identify yourself, unless legally required. Maybe use an alias. As much as possible, buy from local businesses. Or through informal marketplaces. If you really care, travel a few hours by car before shopping. And keep your phone off, in a Faraday bag.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
skierscott 9y ago
> 1. Data can we used against you in ways you might not understand or have considered. > 3. I don't like the idea of people making money off my data without my knowledge Ditto. Collecting massive amounts of intrusive data can lead to regulation, possibly intrusive. An (extreme) example of this is in 1984, where the data collect Oceania does (i.e., telescreens) allows them to control the population.

andmarios 9y ago

I tried it a couple years ago with Google and once targeted ads were off, I would get many ads about gay dating sites. Once I turned targeted ads on again, these ads disappeared.

giancarlostoro 9y ago
I had a similar experience, but it was single women, and there was no way to ask Google to stop showing me those types of ads. At the very least allow me to block adult advertisements. Maybe it's on purpose...
- johansch 9y ago
  Maybe no-one ever made that call, and it's all just based on the results of continously running automated and fuzzed A/B experiments.
- keithpeter 9y ago
  With me it is retirement planning... I am in that age range. I've just taken to either switching javascript off or using one of those hosts files that blocks most stuff.
PhantomGremlin 9y ago
Bah. I hate their attempts at targeting, either way. I normally don't see ads (NoScript, JS usually off). But when I do I sometimes see ads targeted at teenage girls (i.e. my kids). If the trackers can't get any info about me personally, they probably just default to analyzing other traffic from my shared IP address.

schoen 9y ago

By the way, some of the trackers may still be able to track you: https://panopticlick.eff.org/ https://panopticlick.eff.org/ (which does not even include all of the potential methods of browser fingerprinting) Hopefully over time Disconnect, Privacy Badger, and other tools will be able to recognize and interfere with or block a lot of these methods. I'm not sure what I think the long-term prognosis is.

PhasmaFelis 9y ago

I tried turning off targeted Google ads on my phone, and got only the worst ads possible from then on. Like, 100% strobing "YOUR PHONE HAS 37 VIRUSES, CLICK HERE TO CLEAN". Eventually I had to turn it back because ad-supported apps are nearly unusable with strobing banners at the bottom, which I'm sure was Google's intent.

dublinben 9y ago
Have you considered paying for the apps you use, or using open source apps (such as from F-Droid) that don't include ads?
- PhasmaFelis 9y ago
  Many apps don't have paid versions, only ad-supported, and even more apps don't have open-source equivalents. I'm sure you're aware of this.
  - propogandist 9y ago
    install something like 3C, root your phone, disable all the analytics/ad-services from individual apps; also installing something like AdAway will block most ads via the Host file
  - 4ad 9y ago
    I use an iPhone, although I have used Android many years ago (purely because of open source convictions), and I didn't know this. God, it's awful. I try very hard to use only paid apps on iOS even if there are free apps because I don't want to support the data-mining industry (not that paid apps can't participate in it, but at least I hope it's less likely). Most apps cost less than a coffee, and personally I get more value out of the apps I use than from a cup of overpriced coffee.
- j_s 9y ago
  Only ever open in airplane mode!

com2kid 9y ago

> I recently got tired of all the creepy targeted advertising, so I hit the nuclear option. Credit cards, mortgage providers, retail stores, and car dealers all sell customer information on the open market. Every cell phone company out there knows what provider you have, stores knows what type of clothing you like to buy. Wiping your computer clean prevents the ads from appearing on your PC, but the tracking of you is still taking place.

jereees 9y ago
What are some ways in which you can prevent this sort of real life tracking from happening or at least minimize it?
- rubber_duck 9y ago
  Pay cash ?
- mirimir 9y ago
  Pay cash. Don't identify yourself, unless legally required. Maybe use an alias. As much as possible, buy from local businesses. Or through informal marketplaces. If you really care, travel a few hours by car before shopping. And keep your phone off, in a Faraday bag.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

skierscott 9y ago

> 1. Data can we used against you in ways you might not understand or have considered. > 3. I don't like the idea of people making money off my data without my knowledge Ditto. Collecting massive amounts of intrusive data can lead to regulation, possibly intrusive. An (extreme) example of this is in 1984, where the data collect Oceania does (i.e., telescreens) allows them to control the population.