Transparent ads in Microsoft Edge and how to disable them

Microsoft introduced a new feature that calls transparent s in the latest version of Microsoft Edge Canary. Transparent ads are designed “to raise the bar without transparency and control with new privacy standards for personalized ads on the web.” according to Microsoft.

Transparent ads are designed to help Internet users understand “why they are seeing specific ads and where they are coming from.” In addition to the ability to search for information such as the name of the ad provider, the information the provider used to display the ads, and the sites the ad provider tracked a user on, users gain control over their data. Microsoft notes that users can “remove or de-identify any previously collected data,” as long as the ad provider has joined the transparent ad program.

Ad providers must join the Transparent Ad Providers program; they are required by the program to comply with the privacy requirements of the program. In return, vendors are exempt from the Microsoft Edge browser’s balanced tracking prevention option. In other words: more ads will be shown to Edge users as the default, balanced blocking mode will no longer block these ads.

Edge users can click the new “Ads on this page” icon in the browser’s address bar to find information about the advertising companies that are members of the program and have shown ads on the active page.

The information includes the name of the provider, the list of ads displayed by the provider, the data the provider used to display the ads, and a “more details” link, which opens the company page in Edge’s privacy settings.

Providers must meet certain requirements to join the program:

• The ability for users to contact the company that offers personalized ads.
• The Privacy Policy must be posted on the web at a location /.well-known/
• For ad serving partners (i.e. demand-side platforms), give users a clear indication when they see an ad while browsing
• Provide consumable browser metadata on each ad.
• Make sure ad spaces are marked with a unique identifier.
• Do not collect user data upon receiving an opt-out header sent by the browser
• Provide a dashboard where the user can manage the personal data collected by the ad provider.
• Honor user choices for data control.
• All data collection must comply with Microsoft’s privacy and data protection policies and with all applicable laws and regulations related to the collection and use of personal data.

Full requirements are available here.

How to disable Microsoft Edge’s transparent ads feature

Microsoft Edge users who do not want transparent ads to show in Edge while balanced mode is enabled have two main options to disable the functionality.

Option 1: switch to strict tracking prevention mode

Transparent ads show only when Balanced Tracking Protection mode is enabled. One option users have is to switch to strict mode. Strict mode blocks more trackers on sites. Strict mode can cause problems on some sites, but there is an option to add exceptions to make these sites work.

This is how you enable strict mode in Edge:

1. Load edge: // settings / privacy into the address bar of the browser.
2. Set Trace Prevention to Strict on the page that opens.

Option 2: disable transparent ads in Edge

Transparent ads can be disabled directly in Edge. Note that disabling will not reduce the number of ads users see, only that the ads may be more generic as some information about users, for example, obtained through tracking, may not be available to the provider of advertisements.

Do the following to disable the feature:

1. Load edge: // settings / privacy / trackers into the address bar of the browser.
2. Disable “Allow companies that meet Microsoft’s strict privacy requirements” at the top of the page.

Closing words

Microsoft tries to balance advertising and users’ growing privacy needs with its Ad Transparency program. Users get details about the ads, such as why an ad was shown and options to remove the data associated with it, and providers have the ability to show personalized ads based on certain standards to users while the mode Edge Balanced Tracking Prevention is active.

Now youWhat is your opinion of the transparent ad program? (via Leopeva64-2)

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