How To Opt Out Of Facebook Ads That Track You

Facebook has an opt-out page which shows how they track users for Facebook ads across the entire planet. This page lists the ways in which Facebook works with data providers that "help businesses connect with people who might be interested in their products or services." These are the the groups that show an advertisement of a movie ticket sales site to people that've been searching for information about which movies are out in their area. For the Ron Swanson in you, this is your page, this is how you get out.

According to Facebook, "people using our services have control over the ads they see." This doesn't mean that people using Facebook are able to control whether they see ads. It means they have (some) control over how their online activities are tracked and used through Facebook.

As Facebook suggests, these companies they speak of work with businesses "to help manage and understand their marketing efforts." They watch what you're doing and act accordingly. They serve ads based on what you've looked at on the web, making it more likely that you'll click and/or buy products or services from them.

Users that live outside the United States will want to head to the Help Center: Data Providers page at Facebook. For everyone inside the United States, we have the full set of opt-out links listed below. These links all have different methods of opting-out, of course – they don't want to make it TOO easy for you to get out of their tracking business.

• Acxiom: Acxiom opt-out center

• Epsilon: Epsilon consumer preferences

• Experian: Opting Out of Experian

• Oracle Data Cloud: Datalogix Oracle Data Privacy

• TransUnion: Transunion Customer Support

• WPP: I-Behavior Opt-Out

Let us know if you're having any trouble with the process, and by all means tell all your friends. Your friends want to know this kind of stuff – they'll probably give you a nice, crisp high-five in return for your service!