doubleclick ad cookie opt-out

Thanks to this BBS, I recently found and installed Ad-Aware 5.62, which promptly identified the infamous doubleclick ad cookie as the only "spyware" problem on my computer. Of course, it returns home to roost after each deletion. So, I went to the doubleclick website to opt out. Not surprisingly, I could access each and every page within that site except the opt-out. All possible links to that page resulted in a blank page. e-mail to doubleclick regarding this problem with their privacy policy remains unanswered. Two questions: 1) can anyone suggest a way to permanently remove this cookie or opt out? and 2) how big a difference will it really make if I can't get rid of it? Thanks for any input.

docbombay

 

docbombay -- Not clear what you mean by "it returns home to roost after each deletion ". If you delete, it should not come back unless you continue to frequent sites/donwload programs which have Doubleclick attached.
Here is the URL for the Opt-out site. (Hope this is different from the ones you have tried so you can access.)
http://www.doubleclick.com/us/corporate/privacy/privacy/ad-cookie/default.asp?asp_object_1=&
As far as deleting the cookie if you already have it, go to Temporary Internet Files and just Delete the cookie (or cookies if you have multiple entries).
If the Opt-Out URL does not work, you can prevent getting doubleclick cookies in the future by clicking IE's Tools|Internet Options|Security tab|click the Restricted Sites icon|click Sites| type in *.doubleclick.com|click Add. Repeat all, but this time type in *.doubleclick.net|click Add.
I am sure others will suggest many third party program to do the same.
I heard that Doubleclick is planning some new intrusion. I do not have the details yet.

 

Thanks

Jim,

Thank you for your prompt reply. I'm sorry if I was unclear. I did mean that the cookie returned after deletion due to the revisitation of web sites. I assume it is associated with one or more sites I visit regularly and thus recurs. I tried your link and got exactly the same result--a completely blank page. So I have now tried your suggestion on adding restricted sites and will see what happens. I appreciate your help.

docbombay

 

docbombay--Yes, please let us all know whether adding doubleclick to your Restricted Sites solves the problem or not. (If it does not, try to ascertain the name of the doubleclick cookie you are getting. If they have changed to www.ads.doubleclick1.com, for example, then you will have to add *.doubleclick1.com to the Resticted Sites.)

 

Jim,

So far, so good...after being online last night and today for a while, AdAware detects nothing thus far. Of course, I don't know the source of the cookie so it might be I just haven't been back to the right site yet. I will monitor the cookie as you suggest and add to the restricted sites list if needed. I just wish I knew why the opt out page comes up blank. Thanks again for your help and I will post back if anything changes.

docbombay

 

http://DoubleClick.com/us/corporate/privacy/ has an Opt-Out link that may work for you.

I think Jim's advice is best, which is to place *.doubleclick.com and *.doubleclick.net in the IE restricted sites zone. I don't know what harm the doubleclick cookie does, though.

Jim..... let us know if you find out anything else on the new intrusion Doubleclick has planned.

By the way, if you also use Netscape, I've found it works best to make the cookies.txt file read-only once you either have no cookie or an opt-out cookie.

 

Alice - the "harm" I see with the doubleclick (and other spyware) cookies is they put into a database info about where I live and where I surf. They supposedly are doing this so I receive more targeted advertising but I resent this whole thing being done without so much as a "by your leave" from me.

I just resent any of the invasions of privacy that folks want to inflict on me. I know it is done. I know I cannot completely stop it. But it makes me feel good to try.

 

Newt,

I also dislike the idea of someone tracking my surfing habits and I've locked out doubleclick using restricted sites for IE and an opt-out cookie/read-only cookies.txt for Netscape. By "what harm" I was asking Jim if he knew of anything specific to Doubleclick.

docbombay,

Here's another site with links to opt out of Doubleclick as well as other advertising data gatherers:
http://www.privacychoices.org/content_optout.htm

 

More Opt-outs links...

These links take you directly to the "opt out" feature of the ad server listed.

http://technoerotica.net/mylog/optouts.html

Very useful link imho...

 

To IE 6.0 users,

Doubleclick cookies can be blocked by 6.0. When using IE, click View > Privacy Report. This gives a list of cookies from the site. Right clik on Doublclick, a window will appear listing three choices: always accept, always reject, use default. Rejecting Doubleclick will bar the cookie from writing to your system. This can be for all websites or from "restricted" sites.

Regards - Charles