Comments on: Thursday Signal: Google's AdSense Cookie – The Untold Story

By: Jack Yan

Jack Yan — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:16:51 +0000

If only opting out was possible. I know Google claims it is, and based on your article above, it should at least respect user choices, but the reality is that opting out does not work as the company claims.

You can press the ‘Opt out’ button on the Ads Preferences Manager and Google will make claims that you have now been opted out.

But head back in to the Ads Preferences Manager after a day or so. You’ll find that Google has lied to you. It doesn’t matter what brand of browser you use.

I’ve been testing this for around a month now, and the longest I have stayed opted out is three days. The shortest I have stayed opted out is a few hours.

For years I found myself opted back in, but put it down to browser upgrades and the like. Now, having monitored the situation keenly, and ensuring that cookies are not cleared with each session, I am convinced that Ads Preferences Manager is a crock.

For all its claims to technology, Google is the only member of the NAI and the Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising that does not respect its own opt-out cookie. Every other member advertising network does not have this issue.

Please don’t just take my word for it. I invite you to check your Ads Preferences Manager regularly.

By: halı yıkama makinası

halı yıkama makinası — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:32:08 +0000

Thank you very much for the information you provided really did help thank you for everything

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:09:58 +0000

This was a good post because of your hefty background with ad networks.

I thought the Ads prefernce manager was something on the Adsense publisher settings. I never realized it was a setting for readers.

By: John

John — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:26:16 +0000

AdWords started in ’01, Adsense rolled later, you are right.

By: DazzlinDonna

DazzlinDonna — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:04:42 +0000

Pretty sure you got that start date wrong. Unless I’m crazy, and last I checked I still had at least a couple brain cells left, Adsense didn’t launch in 2001; it launched in 2003.