How to stop unwanted ads after using an app or website

When you close the apps and browser on your device, you will be surprised that many times online ads appear suddenly and can be frustrating when you close them one by one. These ads may warn you that the security of your device has been compromised or that items in your online shopping cart are already on sale.

When you click on the ad, you will unknowingly share your personal information when the advertiser starts tracking your activities.

And if you have installed apps on your device, your daily activities are also monitored and recorded. The app developer uses the collected information to improve their services… or at least that’s what we’re led to believe.

Some of the most notorious apps that are known to collect a lot of information from their users include Facebook, Google, Messenger, PayPal, Waze, DoorDash, The Weather Channel, Mint, Coinbase, and YouTube.

It is suspected that most of the information collected is sold to advertisers so that users can receive targeted advertisements. And since personalized ads have been proven to be more effective, advertisers are willing to pay a high price for their information.

So how do you block these third-party online trackers?

Prevent apps and websites from collecting your information

1. Use a DNS-based traffic blocker

Many organizations support preventing malware distribution through malicious URLs and applications so that users can be protected every time they go online. These groups compile lists of suspicious links that are likely harmful because they contain malware.

However, it can be tedious to check these lists before downloading an app or visiting a website. This is because these databases contain different elements.

A good solution is to use a tool like ExpressVPN’s DNS-based traffic blocker. Threat Manager which gets all publicly available lists of malware trackers and hosts and will block them from your app automatically.

All you have to do is activate this free feature once you connect to ExpressVPN and your iOS, Linux or Mac device will not be able to communicate with all servers that are blacklisted based on updated source databases.

2. Configure your device or browser settings

If you have an Android device or are a Firefox browser user, you can try any of the following setup tips that we list in this mail. The steps listed in the guide will prevent your device or browser from opening pop-up ads and suspicious sites that collect information.

3. Remove spam apps

You may not know how many apps are already installed on your device and some of them are likely to be the cause of unwanted ads appearing. The best solution is to do an audit of your installed applications and remove those that you do not use frequently and those that are potential spammers.

4. Don’t sign in to apps using your social media account

When you use your social media account to log in to an app, you allow the app to collect all of the social media information you post. This includes your location, likes, preferences, friends, and even the accounts you visit.

Always use a separate email and unique password when logging into an app.

5. Use browsers that prevent tracking

Instead of using Google, you can choose to browse through search engines like DuckDuckGo, which protects user privacy by filtering search results before displaying them on your screen. It also prevents generating results from content farms.

Similarly, you can install a browser extension like Decentraleyes to prevent requests from reaching Google-hosted libraries, or Privacy Badger to prevent advertisers and third-party trackers from tracking your activities.

6. Run Google Privacy Checker

If you continue to use Google, take advantage of its Privacy Checker so you can identify what information it collects. By doing so, you will be able to adjust your privacy settings to the level you prefer.

7. Delete your search history periodically

By deleting cookies on your search engine, your browsing history is deleted every time you exit. By doing so, you can prevent your history from being exposed.

8. Do not store your usernames or passwords in your browser

You may be tempted to save usernames and passwords in your browser to log in easier and faster. However, this should never be allowed to prevent third-party trackers from compromising your information.

Which VPN offers the best protection against third-party trackers?

ExpressVPN prevents data breaches by controlling data leaks during information exchange between parties. Without it, your DNS server operator or your ISP can log every website you visit, even when you use a VPN. This additional security feature can keep your online sessions private because

ExpressVPN does not log any of your data. Additionally, ExpressVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands, where there are no data retention laws, unlike other countries that require VPN service providers to log customer activity.

Many analysts and product reviewers also agree that ExpressVPN is unparalleled when it comes to its strong privacy and security measures, a global server footprint, and excellent split-tunneling capability.

Ready to use a paid VPN? Try ExpressVPN!

If you want a VPN that offers strong security and geo-spoofing features you can trust, start making every browsing experience safe by choosing your ExpressVPN plan today. Enjoy the Internet with privacy and security!