Text: 'Use a Virtual Private Network. Choose a reputable VPN like NordVPN, Surfshark or ProtonVPN. Avoid free VPNs that aren't going to protect your privacy.' Image: Blue background with a grey/blue 3D profile icon that has a location pin symbol in the place of the head with a ripple effect coming from it.

How to baffle and confuse online advertisers.

A VPN masks your IP address, making it harder for companies to track you and build a profile that can be traded by the adtech industry.

✅️ Get a reputable VPN – don't use a free one.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'communicate securely - email If you can afford it, pay for an email provider like Proton Mail, rather than using providers like Gmail, Yahoo or Microsoft Outlook.' Image: Blue background with a two grey/blue 3D profile icons that have an '@' symbol in the place of the head.

Your emails can be a pipeline to the adtech industry.

Gmail delivers targeted advertising and scans emails to power “smart features” in the name of personalising your experience.

✅️ Switch to an email provider like Proton Mail.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'Communicate securely - chat Whenever possible, use Signal Messenger rather than WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.' Image: Light blue background with two blue 3D profile icons that have a blocked out string of symbols on the head.

Your chats fuel online advertising.

Whatsapp and Messenger send metadata to Meta, gain access to your contacts and information about your device from the app for behavioural profiling and advertising.

✅️ Use a messenger like Signal.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'Turn off ad tracking on your phone Android: Settings > Google > Ads > Turn off Ad Personalisation Apple: Settings > Privacy > Tracking > Turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track.' Image: Blue background with three grey blue 3D profile icons that have a settings cog in the place of the head.

Your phone is a goldmine for adtech brokers.

A key step to stopping surveillance advertising starts with preventing 3rd party access to the personal data generated on your personal device.

✅️ Turn off ad tracking in your phone settings.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'Limit data collected on your apps Stop nasty trackers and analytics on your apps by installing: - Android: Blockada - iPhone: Lockdown Privacy.' Image: Light blue background with three blue 3D profile icons that have a stop symbol in the place of the head.

Your apps can be leaky when it comes to online advertising.

Taking steps to limit the data that's collected and sold on to third parties for targeted ads is essential to protect your privacy.

✅️ Limit the data collected on your apps.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'Use disposable email addresses Consider adopting a service that gives you disposable email addresses like: - SimpleLogin/ProtonPass or Addy.io If comfortable with using US services: - DuckDuckGo Email Protection - Firefox Relay - SurfShark Alternative ID.' Image: Blue background with a grey blue 3D profile icon that has a processing cycle in the place of the head.

Use a burner email address to #StopStalkerAds.

ORG's investigation into Liveramp showed that adtech systems combine online and offline identifiers to profile people for advertising.

✅️ Use disposable email adresses when you're creating accounts online.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

How to take on Meta's consent or pay: ⁃ Use Facebook via a browser that runs an ad blocker such as ublockorigin, rather than downloading their app. ⁃ Review your advertising settings at accountscenter.facebook.com/ads. ⁃ Go to your information and contacts on Facebook account settings > cookies > turn off optional cookies. ⁃ Be careful about what personal information, photos and videos you share on Meta’s platforms. ⁃ Consider using alternative social media platforms.

Consent or pay puts power in the hands of Big Tech.

The ICO could force Meta to give us another choice, where we can access their services without being tracked.

In the meantime, you can take steps to #StopStalkerAds on Meta.

Check out all our tips ➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

Under data protection law, consent must be freely given.

Making your right to opt out of surveillance advertising a subscription service fails that test.

Meta can still make billions from advertising without processing our personal data, such as by contextual advertising.

#StopStalkerAds

Last year, Meta settled a case that showed we have the right to opt out of profiling for targeted advertising under data protection law.

The ICO rubber stamped the consent or pay model, even though there's no option to receive ads that doesn't involve harvesting our personal data.

#StopStalkerAds

To consent or pay? If you live in the UK and have a Facebook or Instagram account, you have probably received a message when you’ve logged in asking you if you “Want to subscribe or continue to use our Products for…

To consent or pay... that is the price tag on our privacy.

We have the right to opt-out of being tracked and profiled. But Meta says you have to cough up to #StopStalkerAds.

There should be an option that doesn't process personal data to use their services.

www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/to-cons...

Text: 'Sign into your accounts safely. Don't sign in to sites with another site such as Google or Facebook, but always create a separate account with your email address and a password.' Image: Light blue background with three blue 3D profile icons that have a asterix in the place of the head.

Stop before setting up a new account using your Google, Facebook or Apple sign-in.

This gives 3rd party sites access to information connected to your account that could be sold on.

✅️ Create a new account with a separate email/password.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'Protect your passwords. Always use a password manager like 1 Passord, Bitwarden, Keepass or Nord.' Image: Blue background with three grey 3D profile icons that have a keyhole in the place of the head.

What have passwords got to do with cookies?

Opting for 'remember me' when logging into sites uses persistent session cookies that allow your behaviour to be tracked over a long time.

✅️ Use a password manager to log-in quickly each time.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'Stop using Google search engine. Ditch Google as your default search engine and choose a privacy-friendly alternative like DuckDuckGo, Startpage, Qwant or Mojeek.' Image: Blue background with two grey 3D profile icons that have a wireframe globe in the place of the head.

Want something. Google it?

Your search history paints a rich picture for companies to target you with ads.

So what you use should provide privacy protections.

✅️ Use a privacy-friendly default search engine on your browser and device.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'Add privacy enhancing extensions. EFF's Privacy Badger and Ublock Origin, plus ones that automatically reject cookie banners, like '1 don't care about cookies' or 'consent-o-matic.' Image: Light blue background with three blue 3D profile icons that have a 'plus' symbol in the corner of the head.

We all get cookie banner fatigue.

And that's the point – companies want you to hit 'accept all' and feed the Adtech beast.

So making it easier to reject cookies is key to protecting your privacy.

✅️ Add extensions to your browser.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

Text: 'Choose privacy enhancing browsers. Uninstall Google Chrome. Use any browser with a default adblocker and protections from online tracking, like Waterfox, Vivaldi or Firefox.' Image: Blue background with two grey 3D profile icons that have a hat and glasses on the face.

What ads you see online is driven by cookies that track your activities on the Internet.

So which browser you use is an important choice when thinking about privacy.

✅️ That's why you should pick one that blocks ads and online trackers.

➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

#StopStalkerAds

How to Stop Stalker Ads Steps to protect your data from the adtech industry Choose a privacy enhancing browser Uninstall Google Chrome.

Your data fuels the bidding war for ad space 🤑

What you do online is tracked, packaged and shared with Adtech companies to feed you targeted adverts.

It's time to put privacy over profits ✊️

You can push back with ORG's top tips to #StopStalkerAds ⬇️

www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/how-to-...

Text: Taking on Stalker Ads – ORG published three reports, collaborated in a direct action and launched a tool to opt-out of targeted advertising on Meta. Image: Green and pink textured abstract background.

In 2025, ORG stood up against invasive Stalker Ads 🚫

We investigated how Meta's targeted advertising model fuels discrimination and spreads misinformation. And we helped you to object to Meta using your data for ads.

Find out more ➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/campaign/end...

#ORG2025 #StopStalkerAds

Meta opt-out In March 2025, there was a huge victory for your data rights! Meta settled a four year court case with human rights campaigner Tanya O’Carroll. She had taken legal action to force the social media…

Privacy over profits!

We're fighting back against Meta's use of personal data to sell ads.

Meta should give us options for opting-out of stalker ads. Until they do, you can use our tool to make this request.

Act now to #StopStalkerAds ⬇️

action.openrightsgroup.org/meta-opt-out

By further automating ad audience selection, we'll have less chance of understanding why certain people are seeing which ads.

It may also make it even harder to detect the use of proxy data that let advertisers dodge anti-discrimination or data processing laws.

#StopStalkerAds

Quote from Anna Dent, author of 'Profiling by Proxy' report: "As Meta introduces more Al to its ad platform, the potential for hidden harms which no-one is accountable for just". Image: A social media profile icon with a shooting range crosshairs on the face in grey on a blue background.

ORG's new report exposes Meta’s intrusive profiling of its users.

With the introduction of Generative AI to Meta’s ad tools, existing problems with opacity will get worse.

🗣️ @annadent.bsky.social, author of 'Profiling by Proxy'.

Read more ➡️ www.openrightsgroup.org/publications...

#StopStalkerAds

Meta opt-out In March 2025, there was a huge victory for your data rights! Meta settled a four year court case with human rights campaigner Tanya O’Carroll. She had taken legal action to force the social media gia...

It's up to us if we want targeted advertising or not. It's about consent.

Meta's attempt to gaslight us in the hope we'll get tired or confused is another tactic to uphold an advertising model that isn't operating lawfully.

Tell Meta to #StopStalkerAds ⬇️

action.openrightsgroup.org/meta-opt-out

Meta’s Consent or Pay Must Not Allow Stalker Ads, Report Argues No excuses for not changing Meta business model A new report by digital campaigners, Open Rights Group urges Meta to amend its business model to comply with data protection law.

Meta must change how it does business away from profiteering on the back of our personal data.

Instead, our report suggests other advertising models that can respect our rights, like contextual advertising or subscriptions for advertisers.

#StopStalkerAds

www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releas...

Meta settles UK 'right to object to ad-tracking' lawsuit by agreeing not to track plaintiff | TechCrunch A human rights campaigner, Tanya O'Carroll, has succeeded in forcing social media giant Meta not to use her data for targeted advertising. The agreement

You have a legal right to object to your personal data being used for the purpose of targeted advertising.

Meta even admitted that they must respect this right when they settled @tanyaocarroll.bsky.social's case.

So why gaslight the rest of us?

#StopStalkerAds

techcrunch.com/2025/03/21/m...

Quote from James Baker, ORG Programme Manager: "Meta must stop stalling and take immediate action. Its current advertising model violates data protection law." Image: 3D social media profile icons floating on a blue background behind large quotation marks.

Meta profits by using your personal data for advertising.

By crunching your data into profiles, you become a target for advertisers and a cash cow for Meta.

Their latest attempt to claim to have honoured people's opt out request while ignoring the actual issue is shady stuff.

#StopStalkerAds

Text: Hey Meta, Don't Gaslight Us! Image: Blue background with a large social Media profile icon in grey with a loading refresh icon in the place of the head.

Don't you know that you're toxic... Meta goes from ghosting to gaslighting.

After our direct action, Meta is now replying to 10k requests to opt out of Stalker Ads.

And it's a fudge. They talk about not using personal data for some direct marketing. But don't mention targeted ads!

#StopStalkerAds

Meta settles UK 'right to object to ad-tracking' lawsuit by agreeing not to track plaintiff | TechCrunch A human rights campaigner, Tanya O'Carroll, has succeeded in forcing social media giant Meta not to use her data for targeted advertising. The agreement

You have a legal right to object to your personal data being used for the purpose of targeted advertising.

Meta even admitted they must respect this right when they settled @tanyaocarroll.bsky.social's case.

So why gaslight the rest of us?

#StopStalkerAds

techcrunch.com/2025/03/21/m...

Quote from James Baker, ORG Programme Manager: "Meta must stop stalling and take immediate action. Its current advertising model violates data protection law." Image: 3D social media profile icons floating on a blue background behind large quotation marks.

Meta profits by using your personal data for advertising.

By crunching your data into profiles, you become a target for advertisers and a cash cow for Meta.

Their latest attempt to claim to have honoured people's opt out request while ignoring the actual issue is shady stuff.

#StopStalkerAds

Meta opt-out In March 2025, there was a huge victory for your data rights! Meta settled a four year court case with human rights campaigner Tanya O’Carroll. She had taken legal action to force the social media…

Your data, your choice ✊

In a recent case against Meta's surveillance advertising model, they conceded that users have the right to object to their personal data being used for targeted ads.

Use our tool to tell Meta NO to Stalker Ads ⬇️

#StopStalkerAds

action.openrightsgroup.org/meta-opt-out

Revealed: gambling firms secretly sharing users’ data with Facebook without permission Betting companies secretly track visitors to their sites before sending data to parent company Meta

The Meta Pixel makes the situation worse.

The Pixel is embedded in other websites and sends data about their visitors back to Meta to be used for ad targeting.

So people with problematic gambling habits could be flooded with gambling ads.

#StopStalkerAds

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

There are some targeting restrictions on special category adverts, such as political ads and ‘Financial Products and Services’ ads.

But gambling ads have fewer restrictions. This lack of transparency on Meta's Ad Library means discriminatory practices can fly under the radar.

#StopStalkerAds