Opt-Out Services

There are dozens of companies that compile information on your browsing habits.  They do this by means of cookies stored on your computer or by special links on Internet sites or in the email messages you receive.  

One example is the ZDNet newsletter we receive.  This newsletter contains many links to articles and other information but the link is not direct!  Looking carefully at the link you would see it begins with a server named "click-thru" which records how many times someone "clicked to read that article" (it may be recording other information as well.)  

There are many other Opt-Out services; you may want to search www.google.com for "opt-out".  When you get to these sites, carefully read over the information!

This list below was complied for one of our newsletters; it since may have changed.  

• http://grc.com/optout.htm
• http://www.networkadvertising.org/optout_nonppii.asp
• http://www.opt-out.cdt.org/
• http://www.engage.com/privacy/optout_privacy.cfm
• http://www.avenueainc.com/privacy/opting.asp?cookieStatus=activeCookie
• ** http://www.doubleclick.com/us/corporate/privacy/privacy/ad-cookie/default.asp

** Read the information on this site very carefully!

Want to get rid of spyware?  Try searching ZDNet's download section for "spyware" or more directly, these free downloads:

• Ad-aware
• Spybot
• A little less direct: ZoneAlarm