What does this little triangle do?

Consumers can opt out of many online ads!

You may have seen it before and wondered what it was. Before we read the article, we really weren’t sure how it worked.

The “it” we are talking about is the small turquoise triangle that appears in the right hand corner of many online ads.

Studies have shown that while many people acknowledge having seen the icon, the vast majority do not understand what it is for.

In short, the icon has been created by a group called AdChoices, and it helps consumers opt out of seeing the personalized ads they are receiving as a result of the information gathered from their browsing habits.

By opting out, consumers can stop these companies from targeting them with interest-based ads.

For more on the concept, and how the opt-out process works, refer to this article posted recently in the New York Times.