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Comment by soared | Hacker News Reader

Or just use the bulk opt-outs provided by the advertising industry organizations. The first is webchoices (the blue triangle you see in the corner of some ads, which allows you to report ads, see how you were targeted, etc.) and the second is the NAI (Network advertising initiative, a non-profit pushing self-regulation for advertisers.)

http://optout.aboutads.info/?c=3&lang=en

http://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1

You can also see what types of data Oracle has on you. This doesn't include all of the companies they own though.

https://datacloudoptout.oracle.com/registry/

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Before I can get to the opt-out page it loads a "Webchoices Browser Check" and it fails because I block third-party cookies? Is this a joke?

You opt-out by using third party cookies, what do you expect it to do without having access to that?

Opting out of tracking via first-party cookies. I mean the owner of a website could just share my page visits with an ad network regardless of third-party cookies.

I should write a bot to opt out every person in my state

The NAI opt out system is entirely worthless, though.

Care to explain?

Sure. It would be inadequate even if it worked as described -- having to opt-out from every browser and machine you use, and then again when you clear cookies? That's unmanageable.

But it doesn't work as described. Perhaps one or two companies might pay attention to the opt-out, I don't know, but I do know that it makes no difference that I can see.

Also, it does nothing to stop the worst of advertising's sins: tracking.

So, all in all, I consider it utterly worthless. It's far better and more certain to block everything browser-side.

Last I tried, half of those don't work.. :/

There are some rules to follow if you really want them to work. Opt out on all your browsers, opt out again after clearing cookies, etc.

> You may still receive other types of online advertising from participating companies, and these companies may still collect information for other purposes consistent with the DAAC Principles.

> https://youradchoices.ca/faq/#cookies-and-opt-out

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