How to block unwanted advertisements

Where human attention goes, there marketers will follow also. Since the inception of communication mediums like radio, television and now the internet and our smartphones, a new platform has only ever represented “opportunity for sales” to marketers. But even online marketing must be governed by laws to protect consumers and when it comes to invasive ad practices, a cease and desist letter is the first step.

The Tech Hack to Blocking Unwanted Advertisements

“Big data” is all the rage. Today, online marketing experts can collect information and meta data about users across various social networks, through a consumer’s purchases and internet searches. For the most part, they try to do this in order to get a better picture of who their target consumer is and what he or she prefers. But there is such a thing as unwanted advertisements clogging up the desktop, hogging operating power on a machine and simply being annoying. Often times, pop-ups and random ads will continually interrupt the user’s experience and stop them from using the website in the manner intended. Though there’s nothing “wrong” or illegal, per se, about retargeting users, unwanted advertisements can usually be blocked through simple ad blocker apps and software available through browsers like Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Another way for users to curb the flow of information about their online shopping or browsing habits is to simply disable cookies in their browser and browse through an “incognito” or “hidden” window.

Making Things Official with a Cease and Desist Letter

Advertising on the internet can get way more invasive, however, when these small scripts that run on a user’s machine come equipped with malware. Even trying to exit from these pop-up ads could potentially trigger a background download, unbeknownst to the user, thus making these unwanted advertisements more than simply “annoying”, but, rather, malicious. Another big issue is about the legitimacy of the unwanted advertisements. Though an offer (whether online or in-person) can follow a consumer around, it must not mislead the consume or make false claims. This is the first requirement of ads being subject to legal action. In this case, a cease and desist letter should be sent to the company, the webmaster or host, or to one’s ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a powerful way to begin taking legal action to protect against more invasive online marketing techniques.

Can advertisers online capitalize on loopholes in the law? Yes, absolutely, and they do everyday. But this doesn’t mean that users don’t have laws that protect them against phishing scams, unlawful data collection and other actions that they have no expressly consented to. It’s why even when consumers are signing up for email newsletters, there are laws that require email marketing software to ask for a “two step authentication” or “opt-in” process. It’s not only about protecting a consumer, but also about protecting oneself in case a cease and desist letter is received.