Yahoo! Opt-Out FAQ

If I opt out, what do I opt out of, exactly?

If you opt out, you won't see ads that are matched to your interests (known as "interest-matched ads" or "ad customisation") If you opt out, the ads we show you will be more general and less relevant to you. Opting out will not turn off ads.

What are “interest-matched” ads?

They are ads we show you that are based on your interests. And "interest-matching" is a process of trying to determine what interests you so that we can show you advertising and content that is more relevant. Many people and companies call this practice "behavioral targeting" or "online behavioral advertising."

Yahoo! creates interest segments (categories of interest) based on a number of things. We consider which pages you visit and which links you click, which ads you see and click on, and the categories of search terms you enter. We observe these interests on Yahoo! and across our partner sites and then we create interest categories. Partners may also give us data to use on their behalf for interest-matched ads. Your opt-out applies to all these forms of interest-based matching.

Yahoo! may also use other information for additional customisation, such as geographic data based on the IP address we receive when you visit, post codes provided on some of our products, and your age and gender from your Yahoo! account. If you opt out of receiving interest-matched ads, we will still collect this information.

Please visit our public service awareness campaign for more about interest-matched advertising.

What is “persistent” opt-out and why should I use it?

Persistent means your opt-out choice is not deleted, so it is a convenient way to opt out.

Almost all opt-outs today are stored in small text files stored on your browser called "cookies." If your cookies get deleted, or if you choose to delete them, you might also be deleting your opt-out choice. Anti-spyware software also periodically deletes cookies.

Yahoo!'s persistent opt-out feature helps avoid this problem. Opting out while you are signed in to Yahoo! will store your opt-out choice with your Yahoo! account preferences. So your opt-out preference will be maintained every time you sign in to your Yahoo! account, on any browser that you use regularly. Your preference is maintained because the opt-out cookie is reset each time you sign in. This makes your opt-out both persistent and portable.

Do I need to have a Yahoo! account to opt-out?

No! You can opt out without having a Yahoo! account or without signing in to your account. Just click the opt-out button.

You will need to opt out separately for each browser that you use and check back from time to time to ensure that your opt-out was not deleted. This is a bit more work for you, so if you have a Yahoo! account we encourage you to use the persistent opt-out feature.

If I delete my cookies, will my opt-out be deleted too?

Yes, if you do not use the persistent out-out. You'll have to check the opt-out page from time to time to ensure your opt-out is still active.

But if you have enabled the persistent opt-out, your choice will be maintained. The opt-out will be reset the next time you sign in.

Will this opt-out apply to every computer I use?

Yes, if you use the persistent opt-out. Persistent opt-out will set the opt-out cookie every time you sign in. If you use more than one computer - for example, a home computer and a work computer - but sign in to Yahoo! regularly from both, then your opt-out will essentially be portable from one computer to the other, if you enable persistent opt-out. If you don’t use persistent opt-out, you will have to opt-out separately from each computer and each browser that you use.

I am trying to opt-out but the message on the page still says I’m not opted out. What's happening?

Maybe you have disabled cookies on your browser or selected a security setting above “medium” that interferes with our ability to set an opt-out. Opt-outs are cookie-based, so if you do not allow cookies you will be unable to express your opt-out choice. But if this is the case, you shouldn’t be concerned. By not allowing cookies, you are effectively opted out of interest-matched ads.

If you change your cookie settings and opting out is still a problem, please use our privacy feedback form to get assistance.

Does my opt-out apply to other ad networks?

Yahoo! operates several ad network domains. We are working to connect all our opt-outs behind the scenes, but today we have several different opt-out choices. You can find them in our Privacy Policy, but you have to make these choices separately. In addition, Yahoo! is a participating member of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), a cooperative of online companies committed to building consumer awareness and establishing responsible business and data management practices and standards. You can exercise the same Yahoo! opt-out preference on the NAI site and also manage other online advertising choices for other participating networks.

If I opt-out of interest-matched advertising, will I still receive customised content and suggestions on Yahoo!?

Yes. Yahoo! will customise your content on our web sites based on your interests. The opt-out we offer today is for interest-based advertising.