Opting out of Google's Ad Settings

I was reading the New Zealand Herald recently which had a great wee piece explaining that, if we had a Google email account, we could opt out of a lot of Google ads. Although details were scarce, I rushed off to do that straight away!

So the steps are:

1. Open gmail | click the gear wheel | click on 'Settings (image above)
2. In the Settings view, click Accounts and Imports | then click "Other Google Account Settings" (see the image above)
3. In the "My Account" view that opens, under Personal info & privacy. click the "Ads Settings" link, then click the "Opt out of More Ads" link.
4. In the "User's Current IBA Status" window that opens, a search of all the ad agencies who advertise with you will run.
5. Once the IBA Status is complete, you will get a "continue" message. Click the button.
   
6. Now you get to choose who advertises to you. I had 134 items, and I had to decide whether to block them all, or to allow some. Frankly, it was impossible to know who was who, so I decided to block them all. There is a handy "select all" link below the "Opt Out?" column of tickboxes. Then click "Submit your choices" button at the bottom right.
7. Your requests will then process.
8. Not all will go through. Only 44 of mine processed on the first pass. You get to decide if you want to try again, or if you will leave it at that.

But you can see that it is not so difficult once you find out how to get started!

Sam

• References: Pierson, D. (29 January 2018). Google will let you mute 'reminder ads' that follow you around the internet. Retrieved 29 January 2018 from https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/100969195/google-will-let-you-mute-reminder-ads-that-follow-you-around-the-internet

There is a shortcut, if you are already logged in to your Google account. Simply go to http://optout.aboutads.info/?c=2#!/ then run and re-run the process. Each time I go in, I find that more ad agencies have been added, so this is something I do every month or so, in each of my browsers.