Facebook is serving ads based on stuff I viewed elsewhere. How do I prevent facebook from snooping on me?

[sidjor]

I was looking for guitar lessons and this ad shows up in facebook offering guitar lessons. I think facebook is watching what I am doing on other sites. I don't want them to snoop on me. How do I prevent it? Is there an alternative other than just deactivating my facebook account?

[Andy T]

I don't think you can nor do I think it is them.

[Timmy112]

If you are using firefox, get ad block plus, that should stop the ad's.....

[Frank]

Get the CA Yahoo! AntiSpyware app (free on your Yahoo account site) and everytime you visit a site, use it to delete the tracking cookies that are acquired everytime you visit a site. The tracking cookies downloaded on your computer are used by Facebook and many other sites to follow your usage, and then use that information to direct advertising specifically to you. You can delete cookies by entering "internet options" on your "browser menu" and selecting "clear history", and "clear temp internet files". You can also go into your computers hidden files to the "temporary internet files" labeled "temp" or "cookies" and manually delete them, although if you are not familiar with this latter suggestion, don't attempt. You could accidentally erase valuable operating files.
Any spyware or malware program will delete cookies, many of them won't find them all, as sometimes it takes me two or three programs to get them all.
The CA Yahoo! Anti spyware works well, but I also use "AVG" and "Spyware doctor" from PCTools to get them all. The last two I also found free on the internet. Most programs you have to buy are only good for one year from the date of purchase (i.e. Norton Anti-virus, etc.) Why pay for something you can get for free.
Check your computers hard manual or online help guide for exact specifications on removing cookies and temp files manually. It's not difficult, but requires a thorough reading. Also note that removing cookies for some programs you have loaded may violate the "terms of use" for that specific program.
Have you ever noticed that when you go to a website such as FaceBook without logging in, and it automatically knows it's you, your name is at the top of the page......this is done through "cookies"
Remember to keep the Spyware open on your tabs at the bottom of the menu tray so that you can remove the cookies every time you visit a site. Sites load cookies everytime you click your mouse, so it's tedious to keep removing them, but better than having your privacy invaded.
Best of luck to you.....

[kaligus]

Using a good browser is a start (I use Firefox with some additional addons to *HELP* avoid cross site tracking) and then configuring it for privacy instead of the default share my life with everyone I visit so the corporations can make more money settings most browsers (even the good ones) ship with.

*NOT* using toolbars, and ad supported search engines while impractical or inconvenient is also a good idea if you want to stop leaving your breadcrumbs every site you visit. This boils down to the price you pay for the convenience offered by such sites/tools is your privacy.

Regularly cleaning your cookies is another good idea. I have my browser set to clear all but the cookies I select as exempt each time I close the browser. (Cookie monster helps with this)

I also use "noscript" configured to block known offenders in that category (and facebook uses nearly every method possible in the hope of getting past at least one of your blocks).

Then I use an addon called "greasemonkey" with scripts to block even more ads.