You Can Soon Escape Yahoo’s Customized Ads

Yahoo! Inc. will offer users greater choice in how they manage their privacy online by enabling them to opt-out of customized advertising on Yahoo.com.

This move came as Yahoo’s response to a letter sent by congressmen from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce asking 33 Internet ad telecommunications companies to detail their privacy policies. Yahoo, Microsoft, Google, and AOL were among those asked to comply.

Yahoo’s opt-out capability is expected to be available for consumers by the end of August.

“Yahoo! strongly believes that consumers want choice when customizing their online experience and they have also demonstrated a strong preference for advertising that is more personally relevant to them,” Anne Toth, head of privacy and VP for policy, said. “However, we understand that there are some users who prefer not to receive customized advertising and this opt-out will offer them even greater choice.”