How To Protect Yourself From Online Tracking On Twitter

To make things simpler for you, we’ve put up a tutorial on how to opt out of Twitter’s personalized adverts and how to protect yourself from online monitoring.

Choosing not to get personalized adverts from Twitter

Twitter offers a simple built-in feature that allows you to opt out of personalized adverts. Opting out would not completely eliminate Twitter’s adverts (which appear as Promoted Tweets and Promoted Accounts), but it will prevent Twitter from gathering external data to adjust which ads you get.

  1. Navigate to your Twitter settings by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner and selecting “Settings.”
  2. On the first page, under “Account,” there is an option named “Promoted material.” Uncheck the option next to “Tailor advertising based on data given by ad partners.”
  3. There is also a “Personalization” option. Uncheck the box next to “Tailor Twitter based on my previous website visits.”
  4. That should be all there is to it.

Choosing not to use Do Not Follow

You may also use Do Not Track to opt out of Twitter’s browser-based targeted adverts (DNT). Do Not Track is a browser signal that indicates that you do not want to be monitored. While many advertisers, corporations, advocacy groups, and regulatory authorities are presently debating how to react to the DNT signal, we are glad to see Twitter honoring its users’ preferences by deactivating targeted adverts when DNT is enabled. (Please keep in mind that utilizing DNT does not opt you out of Twitter’s customized advertisements based on hashed email data.)

Follow our simple steps for Safari, Internet Explorer 9, Chrome, and Firefox to activate Do Not Track. (DNT is enabled by default in Internet Explorer 10.)

If Do Not Track is activated, you should see a green check mark under your “Personalization” option.

Other methods for limiting internet tracking

There are many methods available to assist reduce internet tracking and disable third-party cookies. We suggest using Hostelry (available on Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, and Internet Explorer) or Abime’s Do Not Track Me (available in Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Internet Explorer).

You may also use AdBlock Plus with Easy Privacy Lists to block third-party trackers and advertising in general. Check read our article 4 Simple Changes to Stop Online Tracking for instructions on how to install this add-on and activate additional privacy options.

Wrap Up

Aside from technical solutions, we encourage that you exercise prudence while disclosing personal information online. If possible, use your entire name, phone number, and email address sparingly. Often, businesses do not need this information, which may find up in the hands of a multitude of data brokers (or, worse, governments) down the road.