Interest-Based Ads, also known as behavioral advertising, refer to the practice of collecting information about your online activities across different websites or apps over time to predict your preferences and show ads more relevant to you.
This type of advertising relies on your browsing history, including the websites you visit and the searches you make, to display advertisements tailored to your interests.
For example, if you frequently search for recipes online, you might see more ads for cooking equipment or food delivery services.
The goal of Interest-Based Ads is to make advertising more efficient and appealing to you by matching the ads to your inferred interests.
This approach contrasts with traditional advertising, which is not personalized and is the same for every viewer.
Advertisers and ad networks use various technologies, such as cookies and web beacons, to collect data needed for interest-based advertising.
These technologies track your online behavior and gather information, which is then analyzed to serve you targeted ads. While Interest-Based Ads can provide you with more relevant advertisements, they also raise privacy concerns.
You may not be comfortable with the idea of companies tracking your online activities and using that information to target ads. To address these concerns, many advertising networks offer options to opt out of receiving interest-based ads.
However, opting out does not stop the collection of data; it simply means you will no longer receive personalized ads based on your interests.
Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States have been implemented to give users more control over their personal information and the ads they are served.
Under these regulations, companies must provide clear information about their data collection practices and obtain your consent before collecting data for interest-based advertising.
