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Web users to be given opportunity to opt out of tracking ads

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By John Glenday, Reporter

February 1, 2012 | 1 min read

Perturbed internet users alarmed at being followed around the internet by adverts linked to their recent search history will soon have the opportunity to opt out of such techniques thanks to new guidelines.

The plans, which would take effect this summer, would introduce a new on screen icon (the letter ‘I’ inside a triangle) on browsers dashboards allowing them to choose what adverts are displayed.

These would affect so called “cookie” based adverts which respond dynamically to individuals viewing history.

The scheme has been hatched by the European Advertising Standards Alliance and the Internet Advertising Bureau.

Some sites, such as Yahoo!, have already begun using the symbol on a voluntary basis but from June all websites must offer the option by law.

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