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How to Avoid Being Profiled by Online Advertisers
Joyce Winslow
jwins@oregon.uoregon.edu
Like it or not, you're being tracked and targeted by advertisers whenever you travel the World Wide Web.
How? Advertisers utilize "cookies," small text files recorded in your hard drive that collect data such as the IP address of your machine, your operating system, the browser you're using, and other information. These data allow advertisers to "remember" you and the sites you visit, targeting you for advertising tailored to your interests.
If you're not happy with the thought of making your user profile available to advertisers, you do have some alternatives:
Disabling Cookies. To disable cookies, open your browser's "Preferences" section (usually located in the "Edit" menu) and find the section pertaining to cookies. Then check the option that disables them. In Internet Explorer 4.5, "Cookies" are found under "Receiving files." In Netscape 4.7, select "Advanced" to see the Cookies menu.
Note: Be aware that some web sites (including DuckWeb and many shopping sites) will not allow you to access them if you have disabled cookies.
If you don't want to refuse all cookies, IE 4.5 allows you to choose the option "Ask for each cookie." This notifies you when each cookie arrives, and you can decide at that time whether you want to accept or reject it. The disadvantage of this method is that you may have to reject scores of cookies from any given site each time you try to open a new page.
Proxy Servers. While cookies are not entirely foiled by using a proxy server, using a proxy does accelerate access to frequently used web pages and also speeds web browsing. If you'd like to use a proxy server, open your browser's Preferences menu and go to the section that allows you to enter a proxy server setting (look under "Network" in IE 4.5 and open "Advanced -->Proxies" in Netscape 4.7). In the HTTP field, type proxy.uoregon.edu; in the "port" field, enter 3128. For more information on the UO's proxy server and detailed instructions for browser settings, see http://proxy.uoregon.edu/
Cookie-eating utilities. If you prefer to use cookie-eating software to do the job for you, there are a number of utilities to choose from. One of the leading contenders is Kookaburra Software's "Cookie Pal" (http://www.kburra.com). This software is currently available for a 30-day free trial period.
Similar products are Cookie Crusher (see PC World's review at http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/0,1458,3057,00.htm) and IDcide Privacy Companion (http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description.asp?fid=7588).
AdSubtract is yet another utility that blocks cookies, as well as the advertisements that clutter your screen and slow your surfing. You can download a stripped-down version of AdSubtract for free from the company's web site (http://www.adsubtract.com).
For more information on opting out of cookie-tracking by some of the biggest online profiling firms, see:
You might also want to check out the Center for Democracy and Technology's "opt-out online" section at http://opt-out.cdt.org/online