If you recently updated your 3G/3GS phone to iOS4 or you bought an iPhone 4 then you will probably start seeing iAd ads from Apple while using free applications. iAds are different from other ads that you are accustomed to in mobile phones, these ads allow you to interact with the content on the ad in ways never done before, they “…offer a dynamic and powerful new way to bring sight, sound, motion, and emotion into the hands of consumers with full-screen video, audio, games, maps, and more. iAd rich media allow users to interact with advertising without having to leave their app.†Like all other ad networks, iAd delivers targeted ads based on your information, for example, the sites you visit, the type of apps you use, your location, etc. If you wish to minimize the amount of information used by the iAd network to deliver targeted ads and gain back a little bit of privacy then follow the instructions below to opt-out of iAd interest-based ads.
As you can see, Apple plans on this ad format being highly interactive and targeted to the individual using the application with iAd.
1. If you wish to control the cookies stored on your mobile device and would like to opt out of targeted advertising, visit – https://oo.apple.com/ (using the device you wish to opt out of interest-targeted advertising).
2. Repeat for other Apple mobile devices.
When you click on the link above you will see a page confirming that, “You have successfully opted out” and you will be automatically opted out of interest-based ads. Keep in mind that opting out using the link above is only for iAd and not other networks.
A few things you should know:
- You may still see the same number of ads as before, but they may be less relevant because they will not be based on your interests.
- You may still see ads related to the content in an application or based on other non-personal information.
- If you use more than one Apple mobile device running iOS 4, you will have to opt out from each device individually using the instructions above.
- This only applies to devices running iOS4.
Information via Apple.com
