THE LATEST SCAM

QAs I’ve started my Christmas shopping, I’ve noticed my browsers and social media are showing me adverts for presents I’ve been looking at for my husband. How does it know and how do I stop it?

JAMES SAYS

AIt’s a valid concern, especially at this time of year. Companies are able to anonymously collect the personal data of shoppers to build detailed profiles and target them with online adverts they think will catch their attention. To avoid being targeted, you should clear the cookies from your browser regularly, which will prevent you from being followed by adverts across different websites. You can also turn on incognito mode in your browser and that will stop you from being tracked. If you’re simply tired of seeing targeted ads all the time, you can opt out of ‘interestbased advertising’ on social media platforms or you can even take it one step further and use Rightly to directly delete the data companies have stored on you.