Very cool - find out what Google knows about you.

[Curtis2011]

I just discovered this page where you can opt out of the Google Ads cookie.

Basically this allows you to make it so Google doesn't track your actions in your specific browser.

Personally I think this would be a mistake. If you disable their ability to track you, then you will simply be given 100% random Google advertisements, instead of advertisements that have been catered to be more interesting to you.

That aside, if you click on the "manage your ad preferences" link directly below the opt-out button, it will take you to a page that displays all of your "interests" that Google has gathered based on your behavior in your specific browser at the time of using it (they use different cookies for each browser you use).

I thought it was very cool that they know how old I am (18-24) and that I'm male. Very basic info yes, but still it's amazing how they can just infer this without me actually telling them.

Also they've got a long list of my interests based on what websites I visit, and all of them are pretty accurate.

Oh and, you can also choose to add specific categories to your cookie here. This could influence the type of Google ads that are displayed for you when you search on Google or perhaps even when you visit websites that host Adsense ads.

[Wax Frog]

Where's the demographic info shown?

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by Wax Frog

Where's the demographic info shown?

I'm guessing it might not show up if they haven't gathered enough information about you.

[ssandra]

LOL So not at all what I'm interested in, and yet so accurate in what I use google for

It says one of my interests is music. I couldn't care less, but I use google to find the names of songs when I'm cleaning up my iTunes.

I also use google to see make appointments (time zone differenes) so that is one of my 'interests' as well...

Tnx, that was nice to know!

[tomw]

Interesting. Oddly enough though, it listed wrestling, which is something I've never done a search for.

[leia337]

Thanks Curtis!

That explains why every website I go to on google I see advertisement for a university I was somewhat interested. I thought the school must be desparate for students if they were advetising on every website I visited. Lol!

[RichGrad]

Does it work if you're logged out of your google account?

[EternalOne]

Originally Posted by Curtis2011

That aside, if you click on the "manage your ad preferences" link directly below the opt-out button, it will take you to a page that displays all of your "interests" that Google has gathered based on your behaviour in your specific browser at the time of using it (they use different cookies for each browser you use).

Wow that is really interesting, thanks for sharing

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by RichGrad

Does it work if you're logged out of your google account?

I think so. I'm pretty sure Google saves the information in a cookie in the web browser you use, so it is held separately from information from your Google account.