Meta has admitted that users have the right opt-out of stalker ads. Now what for our data rights?

Join our webinar to explore the impact of
Tanya O'Carroll's case against Meta.

Wed 16 April
6–7.30pm BST
Zoom

Register Now https://www.openrightsgroup.org/events/webinar-taking-on-meta-what-next-for-our-data-stalker-ads/

#StopStalkerAds

Online Tracking Is Out of Control — Here’s How You Can Fight Back — The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is taking aim at online surveillance with Privacy Badger, a free, open-source browser extension designed to block trackers and disrupt the business model of behavioral advertising.

Here’s how it protects your privacy:
Blocks third-party trackers and cookies from loading on websites.
Sends Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals to opt out of data sharing (legally binding in several U.S. states).
Neutralizes social media trackers by replacing embedded content with click-to-activate placeholders.
Disrupts adtech profits by denying them access to your data — weakening the surveillance economy.

Until we have strong federal privacy laws, tools like Privacy Badger offer real, immediate protection.

#Privacy #CyberSecurity #EFF #DigitalRights #AdTech #OnlineTracking
@eff@mastodon.social
@eff@twitter.oksocial.net

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/online-tracking-out-control-privacy-badger-can-help-you-fight-back

"Online tracking is pervasive because it’s profitable. Tech companies earn enormous profits by targeting ads based on your online activity—a practice called “online behavioral advertising.” In fact, Big Tech giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon are among the top companies tracking you across the web. By automatically blocking their trackers, Privacy Badger makes it harder for Big Tech companies to profit from your personal information.

Online behavioral advertising has made surveillance the business model of the internet. Companies are incentivized to collect as much of our data as possible, then share it widely through ad networks with no oversight. This not only exposes our sensitive information to bad actors, but also fuels government surveillance. Ending surveillance-based advertising is essential for building a safer, more private web.

While strong federal privacy legislation is the ideal solution—and one that we continue to advocate for—Privacy Badger gives you a way to take action today.

Privacy Badger fights for a better web by incentivizing companies to respect your privacy. Privacy Badger sends the Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track signals to tell companies not to track you or share your data. If they ignore these signals, Privacy Badger will block them, whether they are advertisers or trackers of other kinds. By withholding your browsing data from advertisers, data brokers, and Big Tech companies, you can help make online surveillance less profitable."

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/online-tracking-out-control-privacy-badger-can-help-you-fight-back

You have a legal right to object to targeted adverts based on your personal data.

Meta should give us options for opting-out of stalker ads. Until they do, you can use our tool to make this request.

Take control of your privacy

Act Now (UK Residents) https://action.openrightsgroup.org/meta-opt-out

#StopStalkerAds

NEW: Tool launched to opt-out of stalker ads on Meta!

Last week saw a big win for data rights! Meta settled Tanya O'Carroll's legal case against them. They agreed to stop using her data for targeted advertising.

Now it's your turn

Use our tool to #StopStalkerAds (UK residents)

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/meta-opt-out

Is anyone playing a remote #MarchMadness pool with a bracket system thats not incredibly #privacy invasive, but also automates signup, bracket tracking, and scoring?

I need to replace our cbssports based one next year - to do anything on mobile you have to install the app, and that was a dealbreaker for at least one potential player. And looking into it, the web version is #adtech all the way down.

Tanya O’Carrol WINS against #Meta:

Meta affirms right to OPT OUT of surveillance advertising, concedes in legal case!

Another blow to the unethical and unfair business models of Meta, Google and X: targeted ads and profiling are NOT something you must simply tolerate.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/21/meta-settles-u-k-right-to-object-to-ad-tracking-lawsuit-by-agreeing-not-to-track-plaintiff/

Today I moderated a @oecd panel on consent management technologies, examining tensions in this rapidly evolving space. Grateful to panelists from CPPA, Inria, IAB Europe, CNIL, and Trilegal for their insights, and to @SergiGalvezDuran, @ChristinaMichelakaki, and @ClarisseGirot for organizing this valuable discussion. My opening remarks: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/opening-remarks-evolution-consent-technologies-rob-van-eijk-7i8ne

New pre-print online:

‘The EU Digital Services Act: what does it mean for online advertising and adtech?’

By Pieter Wolters and me.

We explore the question: what does the Digital Services Act mean for online advertising?

We show that some types of ad tech companies, such as ad networks, should be considered platforms.

Comments are welcome! It's a pre-print, so we can still improve it.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.05764

Reforged Labs: Transforming Mobile Game Marketing with AI Innovation

Reforged Labs is at the forefront of revolutionizing mobile game marketing through an AI-driven co-pilot that automates ad creation, providing invaluable insights and trend analysis. Founded by tech v...

https://news.lavx.hu/article/reforged-labs-transforming-mobile-game-marketing-with-ai-innovation

The #Meta / #Mozilla in-browser advertising features are already a discrimination+fraud risk, but will get worse if not shut down soon.

Google 2019: we're doing "Privacy Sandbox" ads in the browser so we don't have to do fingerprinting

Google 2025: fingerprinting is back on the menu

The time to call out and deal with #boundaryTesting is _when you notice it_.

Updated: why "privacy-enhancing" ad features don't belong in browsers https://blog.zgp.org/stop-doing-privacy-enhancing-technologies/ #Firefox #adtech #surveillanceCapitalism

@joeyh They already have "impression reporting" as part of the in-browser #adtech features co-developed with Meta. Doesn't have this functionality now but could be extended

#Disenshittify, NOW!! We have a chance: #IP!!

"…thanks to internal memos published during last year's #monopoly trial against #Google, we know what they did. They made #search worse. They reduced the system's accuracy it so you had to search twice or more to get to the answer, thus doubling the number of queries, and doubling the number of #ads.

Meanwhile, Google entered into a secret, illegal collusive arrangement with #Facebook, codenamed #JediBlue, to rig the ad market, fixing prices so advertisers paid more and publishers got less." @pluralistic
#adtech
https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/26/ursula-franklin/

Another day, another attempt by Microsoft to extract as much revenue as possible from Office users:

"Microsoft has quietly launched a new version of Microsoft Office for Windows that can be used to edit documents for free, no Microsoft 365 subscription or Office license key required. This free version of Office is based on the full desktop apps, but has most features locked behind the Microsoft 365 subscription.

First spotted by Beebom, the free version of Office for Windows includes ads that are permanently on screen when within a document in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Additionally, this new free version of Office also only allows you to save files to OneDrive, meaning no support for editing local files.

To access the free version of Office, just skip the prompt to sign-in when you first run an Office app. From there, you will be given the choice to continue to use Office for free in exchange for ads and limited features. In this mode, you can open, view, and even edit documents, just like you can with the web version of Office."

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/office-365/microsoft-quietly-launches-free-ad-supported-version-of-office-apps-for-windows-with-limited-functionality

Criminal organizations are doubling down on malicious adtech to enable delivery of fake applications, malware, credential theft, and more -- not to mention the ability to circumvent enterprise security controls AND target victims with custom content: https://blogs.infoblox.com/threat-intelligence/the-hidden-dangers-of-malicious-adtech/
#tds #dns #threatintel #cybercrime #threatintelligence #cybersecurity #infosec #infoblox #infobloxthreatintel #adtech

"Tracking and profiling for advertising purposes present significant risks to consumers and society. This is demonstrated by a report commissioned by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv). The advertising industry’s practice of categorising and influencing individuals based on their preferences, behaviours and vulnerabilities leads to manipulation, discrimination and a loss of trust. vzbv calls on the European Commission to ban tracking and profiling for advertising purposes and ensure the protection of digital fundamental rights.

“Every click on the internet is tracked because it supposedly reveals something about us: our preferences, desires and interests. The uncontrolled data collection by the advertising industry poses great risks to consumers and society,” says Michaela Schröder, Head of Consumer Policy at vzbv. “Consumers are powerless against the practices of the advertising industry. Existing laws are not sufficient. A ban on tracking and profiling is the only way to ensure meaningful consumer protection,” Schröder states."

https://www.vzbv.de/en/personalised-advertising-overdue-regulation