[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Watch Out for Online Ads That Watch You here

[phillypa800]

this is why everyone on the planet should use firefox 2.0.0.1. one of the privacy features under tools, options then privacy tab allows you to accept or deny cookies based on your option settings in cookies...when you exit from firefox, privacy setting gives you the option to clear all related privacy info including cookies.

[lawhoo97]

Online advertising is what keeps content free. I suspect that companies are offering targeted services because that is what the market wants. As long as no personal information is attached to the cookie, so what. My credit card company has a bunch more information on me than any cookie could provide.

[GrossTyro]

NO MESSAGE should leave my computer without my specific causation or consent. ANY such "cookie" is in fact a hacking tool. If it reports Web surfing histories, what might it show to a ten-year-old using the computer in her public library? And to say that consumers should police their own cookie acceptance is fatuous. If consumers had that kind of computer literacy, spam and malware would have been wiped out five years ago by no one opening spam, and no one opening attachments, and no one visiting phishing pages. Criminals and shady dealers--like the vendors covered in this article--operate on, rely upon, public ignorance.

[wildbill2u]

you use the Network Ad site opt out function it doesn't work for all the different companies. I found one site (Specific Media) where I was referred by the Network link that said by 'By using this website, you acknowledge your agreement to Specific Media and/or its affiliates. If you do not agree with the terms, do not use the website." so does that mean by going to the site to opt out, I opted in? This is a catch 22 option.Another one said if I had my browser set up to block 3rd party cookies, their opt out function wouldn't work. Another catch 22 or am I missing something?

[wildbill2u]

Still trying to get several of the non-working opt out features and having some problems. One of the NAI links doesns't work at all.(Atlas)

[Deap1]

Made a visit to the Network Advertising Initiative's site within Firefox and IE. Neither were able to fully block the list of perps. Go figure. Like a felon would volunteer to stop gather it's, his/her/corporate, revenue stream from being openly available? Just not going to happen willingly. Rights to privacy will have to be fought for in an endless fashion as long as our government is so easily bought and saddled.Nice phrase "most likely could not do it". Reads out as WILL DO IT because it will be in their interest to keep down any and all pressures sure to be lain on them should they refuse the government.

[clayco]

Why not just use a proxy? They are out there by the hundreds.

[winnhere]

Pardon my ignorance, but I think I keep cookies from tracking me daily.When I am on the web, I frequently open the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and go to Internet Options then click on Delete Cookies, Delete Files.DOESN'T THIS REDUCE ANY TRACKING OF MY SURFING TO NEAR ZERO?????SRW

[kwjordan]

We need to try to stop the ignorance that makes people reply to spam. I've never replied to spam, not even once. If we all stopped replying, there would be no point in sending spam, and it would stop.

[Yllib]

The opt out doesn't work for all the ad networks. 3 out of the group let you opt out, but the others want to plant a cookie before they will connect. I want to opt out to avoid cookies!! When you want to complain to NAII, you have to have a company name and website or you can't connect.