Google collects huge amounts of data from people all over the world, and this is not always with the user’s consent. The company uses this data not only to adjust its search algorithm, but also to serve targeted ads on Google, YouTube and other websites. However, it’s really easy to disable Google-targeted ads on the web. Today we will show you how you can stop, block, disable and disable targeted and personalized ads on Google, YouTube and other websites.
Stop Personalized Ads on Google and YouTube
In this article, we’ll show you how to stop (disable) personalized ads across all of Google’s services, including but not limited to Google Search and YouTube. You’ll also learn how to block certain categories of ads that you might not feel comfortable with for one reason or another. Without further ado, let’s see how you can stop, block, disable and disable targeted ads on YouTube, Search and other Google services.
Block Targeted Ads on Google Sites and Services
- First, Sign in to Google and navigate to: Ad Settings page in a web browser. At the top right, you’ll see a toggle for ‘Ad Personalization’.
- Click the toggle button to exit Ad Personalization. Ignore the warning popup and hit the ‘Close’ button.
Get More Control Over Personalized Ads on Google Sites and Services
If you don’t want to stop targeted and personalized ads altogether, but want more granular control over the information Google can use to tailor its ads for you, the company offers this option as well. For this, Don’t turn off the ‘Ads Personalization’ toggle in the first step. Instead, follow the steps detailed below:
- With Ad Personalization “On”, scroll down and look at the ad categories Google thinks you’re interested in. The list also includes demographic information, which can be turned off to prevent Google from using it to personalize any ads.
- You can now click on any category to turn them off one by one. Confirm if prompted.
This should ensure that you do not see ads from that category when using Google sites and services.
Google is also trialling a new feature that will allow users to stop alcohol and gambling ads on YouTube. So if you want to mute helpful ads everywhere, check out our tutorial on that. However, the service is currently in beta and is currently only available to a few users.
Block Targeted Ads on Third Party Websites Using Google Ad Services
- Click on “Check ad personalization on other websites…”. You will be directed to a configuration page (aboutads.info) that will allow you to disable tracking cookies from third parties.
- After the initial evaluation of the site is complete, click on the ‘Exit All’ option at the bottom to disable targeted advertising from third-party companies. Confirm if prompted.
It will take a minute or two for the service to notify all third parties of your new ad settings. Note, however, that this will only apply to companies that voluntarily participate in this self-regulatory program. This means it will keep the most problematic third-party ad servers out of the loop.
Block Personalized Ads on Google, YouTube and Other Websites
By using the guide above, you can prevent Google from serving you more personalized ads on their own websites, as well as on third-party sites that use Google Ad Services. You should also check Google’s advertising policies to learn more about what the company does with their data. If that doesn’t satisfy you, you can completely remove Google from your life. By the way, if you really hate ads, you should also check out our detailed guide on how to remove all ads from Windows 10.
