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3/04 - Yahoo! Improves Opt-Out for Interest-Based Customized Advertising

Signed-In Users Can Choose Persistent Opt-Out, Even When Users Clear Browser Cookies

Last August Yahoo! announced that we would offer an “opt out” for users who decide to decline interest-based customized advertising on our network.

At that time, some people raised concerns that users who choose to periodically clear their cookies – the files that websites use to provide customized services to users – will also clear their opt-out choice. Therefore, users have to set their opt-out every time they clear their browser cookies or use a different Internet browser.

We promised to work on the technology to address this issue – and now we’re announcing changes that help us tackle the problem for users who sign in to Yahoo!.

We’re testing a new “Persistent Opt-Out” right now and we expect it to be available to consumers this month. Check back here soon to make your opt out persistent.

Once we launch this feature, a user’s choice to opt-out of interest-based customized advertising will be persistent if that user is signed into Yahoo!. When the user signs into Yahoo! from any browser or device, the opt out choice will respected not only when the user is signed in, but also for that browser if the user signs out of Yahoo!.

For users who are not signed into Yahoo!, our opt-out page will remind the user to sign in to their Yahoo! account to ensure that their choice is honored persistently. Opt-out choices for users who have not signed into Yahoo!, or who do not have Yahoo! accounts, will continue to use pre-existing cookie technology.

At Yahoo! we’re focused on providing the most compelling, relevant customized services in a trusted environment. We’re proud of our privacy leadership and the choices we’re offering consumers. We believe that users prefer advertising that cuts through the clutter and is relevant to their interests.

However, we’re committed to offering choices to those people who prefer to decline this type of advertising – and our new Persistent Opt Out for signed in users helps make this process even easier.

2/24 - Yahoo! Announces New Customized Advertising Products that will better match ads to your interests

Today Yahoo! announced several new products aimed at making sure advertising better matches consumers’ interests.

• Search Retargeting for Display Advertising: Yahoo!’s Search Retargeting serves display advertising throughout the Yahoo! Network based on the search keywords you enter. For example, if users search for the keyword “sandals,” they may receive a display ad for footwear on the Yahoo! network.
• You have options about receiving interested based advertising – if you prefer not to receive this type of customized advertising, please click here to “opt-out.”
• Enhanced Retargeting: Yahoo! is also introducing Enhanced Retargeting, which matches interest on an advertiser site with a dynamic display ad on the Yahoo! network. For example, users who visit an airline website to check offers for flights from SFO-JFK may be served a personalized offer for that specific flight when they visit a page within the Yahoo! Network. If you prefer not to receive this type of customized advertising, please click here to “opt-out.”

1/28 - Yahoo! Celebrates International Data Privacy Day

Yahoo! celebrated International Data Privacy Day with tips for consumers for to help protect their privacy online. Read more about it on our Yodel Anecdotal corporate blog!

12/17 - Yahoo! Announces Industry Leading Approach to Data Retention

Yahoo! recently announced a significant change in how we retain the information related to your use of Yahoo! sites, setting an industry-leading approach to user data privacy. The New York Times said that it was “…an encouraging development for the cause of Internet privacy.” Learn more about it on our Yodel Anecdotal corporate blog!