FAQs for Complaint Submission to the AdChoices Program

Q: When should I submit a complaint about the AdChoices program?
A: Complaints can be made if you have opted out using one of the AdChoices approved tools and you continue to receive interest-based ads.  It may also be helpful to review the common causes that may cause the opt out tool not to work for you.

Q: I have opted out using the AdChoices tools, why do I keep seeing ads?
A: The opt-out tools allow you to opt out of interest-based advertising from companies registered with AdChoices program. AdChoices is not an ad blocker. The opt-out process does not opt you out of receiving all ads, only interest-based ads. You will continue to get ads after you opt out; they will just not have any special relevance to your interests. Again, please be advised that tools above do not eliminate advertising; rather they block interest-based ads from participating companies. There may be third-party ad- blocking services available to address your concerns; however, these are unrelated to the AdChoices program.

Q: I am locked out of my <website> account, is that caused by the AdChoices program?
A: Neither the AdChoices program nor AdStandards manage website accounts.  If you are having issues logging into an account on a specific website, you must contact that site for assistance.

Q: I don’t want ads – can you please help me with that?
A: We are unable to eliminate advertising. After you opt-out of online interest-based advertising using the AdChoices tools, you will not receive interest-based advertising from participating companies. However, you will still receive other types of advertisements and you may even receive advertisements from AdChoices participating companies (although those ads will not be served to you based on your interests). There may be third-party ad-blocking services available to address your concerns; however, these are unrelated to the AdChoices program.

Q: Your ads are popping up all over my computer, how do I stop that from happening?
A: AdChoices does not participate in the delivery of ads. If you are receiving numerous popups on your device, it is most likely your device has a virus. There are third-party virus removal tools available online which you may find helpful.

Q: Can you help to remove me from all marketing emails?
A: The AdChoices program does not cover the email marketing campaigns of its participants.  If you are receiving direct emails that you no longer wish to receive, you can unsubscribe from the email list (most emails include an ‘unsubscribe’ link in the footer).  Sometimes advertisements that are not targeted emails will appear in your email inbox. For any such ads that are placed by an AdChoices program participant and are interest-based, opt-outs using the AdChoices program will apply.

Q: The DAAC AdChoices tool is not working, what do I do now?
A: While we test this tool on a regular basis, there are occasions where one or more connections between the tool and its participants no longer work correctly.  If you are experiencing opt-out issues, you can start by trying to address the common causes.