Avast WEBforum

Consumer Products => Avast Online Security (browser extension) => Topic started by: Amanda2 on January 11, 2022, 04:37:37 PM

Title: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 11, 2022, 04:37:37 PM
I opted out from advertisers. My ad blocker blocked the site. I gave temporary access so the opting out would work. It appeared to work.

The next day, the same thing happened again. The sites opened, were blocked, got temporary access, appeared to work.

I no longer give temporary access. I am not giving permanent access to an ad site. I can turn opting out off if I remember to do it before it starts opting out. If I don't remember to turn it off every time I open my browser, it gets stuck on 'Opting out is in progress' and keeps trying until I close my browser.

I can add advertisers to opt out from (these look like the ones it doesn't work on), but I can't tell it not to opt out anymore.

Is there a way to make turning it off stick, or do I have to uninstall it as a broken extension?
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Asyn on January 11, 2022, 04:46:18 PM
Provide details...
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 11, 2022, 05:19:00 PM
What kind of details would you like?

I opted out from advertisers. Despite letting the extension opt me out from advertisers, and sometimes having to manually opt out on the pages the extension opened, it keeps opening the same pages every day. These pages are blocked by my ad blocker, and I will not permanently allow them access to my computer. The opt-out settings will not stick.

Turning opting out also will not stick. I click the switch and it turns to red for off. The next time I open Chrome, it's turned on again. It again opens the same pages.

I would like to make the settings stick or I will have to remove the extension.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Asyn on January 11, 2022, 05:30:37 PM
What kind of details would you like?
- Which version/build of AOS..?
- Which browser & version..?
- OS..? (32/64 Bit..? - which SP/Build..?)
- Other security related software installed..?
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 11, 2022, 05:59:20 PM
I have version 21.0.101.

I am using Chrome Version 97.0.4692.71 (Official Build) (64-bit).

Windows 11 Home, 21H2. 64 bit (it happened on Windows 10 before I upgraded too)

My antivirus is Avast Premium Security. I have Avast Cleanup Premium. Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Microsoft Firewall are installed but turned off. For browser extensions, I have Adfly Skipper, Avast Passwords, FastForward (replaced Universal Bypass, happened with that too), and uBlock Origin.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Asyn on January 11, 2022, 06:20:41 PM
Hi, not using Chrome - wait for one of the devs and/or submit a ticket: https://support.avast.com/contact
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 11, 2022, 06:24:08 PM
Thank you for trying!

I'll have to wait, because the only options for this product are the forum or call them, and I can't sit on hold for hours.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: bob3160 on January 11, 2022, 10:11:23 PM
Opted out from what site? Have you contacted the site?
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 12, 2022, 12:18:04 AM
It says I have opted out from LiveRamp, Taboola, Tapad, Xandr, Artsai, Adara, Criteo, Oracle Advertising, and Microsoft.

It says I have kept 5 advertising companies: 33Across, Adform, Amazon, Flashtalking, and Apollo program. These are the sites that keep opening. From before I made the original post earlier today until now, the extension still says  'Opting out is in progress' with a spinning circle.

If I unblock these sites, I can manually opt out. I just want Avast to stop trying every day, and I can't get turning it off to stick. I don't think contacting these sites would change the behaviour of Avast Online Security & Privacy. If it does, that's a whole other problem.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: bob3160 on January 12, 2022, 01:14:02 AM
It says I have opted out from LiveRamp, Taboola, Tapad, Xandr, Artsai, Adara, Criteo, Oracle Advertising, and Microsoft.

It says I have kept 5 advertising companies: 33Across, Adform, Amazon, Flashtalking, and Apollo program. These are the sites that keep opening. From before I made the original post earlier today until now, the extension still says  'Opting out is in progress' with a spinning circle.

If I unblock these sites, I can manually opt out. I just want Avast to stop trying every day, and I can't get turning it off to stick. I don't think contacting these sites would change the behaviour of Avast Online Security & Privacy. If it does, that's a whole other problem.
What part of Avast are you using to opt out of these items? Screenshot might be helpful.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 12, 2022, 01:28:45 AM
I am using the browser extension Avast Online Security & Privacy, under Ads Opt Out, started through one of the Privacy Advisor guides within the extension.

I hope the attachment works to share a screenshot.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: bob3160 on January 12, 2022, 02:16:25 PM
I am using the browser extension Avast Online Security & Privacy, under Ads Opt Out, started through one of the Privacy Advisor guides within the extension.

I hope the attachment works to share a screenshot.
For me it was able to opt-out 7 of the 14 trackers listed/
It took several tries to get to that 7.
I was able to opt out of 3 others on my own. 1 listed tracker led to a non existent
website. 2 sites had buttons to opt out that did not work and the last one
led you around in circles but I was never able to opt out.
Re-running the function after I had manually opted out, still reflected the same seven sites as
actively showing ads.
This doesn't solve the problem which is something Avast needs to address but hopefully
gives a further insight into this topic.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: r@vast on January 14, 2022, 10:16:43 AM
Hi,

Our developers are looking into this issue.
For five brokers (33Across, Adform, Amazon, Apollo, Criteo), the issue is caused by interference from the uBlock Origin extension.
To successfully Opt-Out, we advise temporarily disabling the uBlock Origin:
Navigate to chrome://extensions/.
Disable the uBlock Origin.
Open a new tab and load any page.
Open the AOSP Extension and run the Opting Out Script.
The blocked brokers by the uBlock extension should finish.
Navigate back to chrome://extensions/.
Enable uBlock Origin again.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: bob3160 on January 14, 2022, 10:28:24 PM
Hi,

Our developers are looking into this issue.
For five brokers (33Across, Adform, Amazon, Apollo, Criteo), the issue is caused by interference from the uBlock Origin extension.
To successfully Opt-Out, we advise temporarily disabling the uBlock Origin:
Navigate to chrome://extensions/.
Disable the uBlock Origin.
Open a new tab and load any page.
Open the AOSP Extension and run the Opting Out Script.
The blocked brokers by the uBlock extension should finish.
Navigate back to chrome://extensions/.
Enable uBlock Origin again.
Followed those instructions and it worked for all but one - Artsi - Adaptive Marketing.
When I clicked on the link given for this vendor in the app, I received a 404 error code.
The link listed in the app for that site is https://artsai.com/privacy_policy/
Hope that helps and leads to a fix.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: rocksteady on January 15, 2022, 05:33:50 PM
I get same result as bob reported, but also cannot get rid of Flashtalking in addition to Artsai. So I have 2 unwanted listed.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: bob3160 on January 15, 2022, 06:08:51 PM
I get same result as bob reported, but also cannot get rid of Flashtalking in addition to Artsai. So I have 2 unwanted listed.
Flashtalking took a second attempt at removing. After the initial cleanup, I ran it a second time.
Hope that helps.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 16, 2022, 02:26:46 PM
I get same result as bob reported, but also cannot get rid of Flashtalking in addition to Artsai. So I have 2 unwanted listed.
Flashtalking took a second attempt at removing. After the initial cleanup, I ran it a second time.
Hope that helps.
I have now tried 3 times and Flashtalking is still not gone. But that is all that is there. Artsai is successfully taken care of.
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: bob3160 on January 16, 2022, 02:39:20 PM

Here's my information.
(https://d1ka0itfguscri.cloudfront.net/Lh/2022/01/16/13/32/c3VDIxVoE5D/preview.jpg)
(https://d1ka0itfguscri.cloudfront.net/Lh/2022/01/16/13/34/c3VDI4VoE50/preview.jpg)
What I can't get rid of via the AOS app or manually is the following:
(https://d1ka0itfguscri.cloudfront.net/Lh/2022/01/16/13/37/c3VDIAVoE5a/preview.jpg)
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 16, 2022, 04:12:01 PM
I find it weird that we have the same advertisers, but I can't get rid of Flashtalking, but you can't get rid of Artsai. And I can't manually opt out of Flashtalking (there's an opt out button, but it does nothing).
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: bob3160 on January 16, 2022, 04:23:23 PM
I find it weird that we have the same advertisers, but I can't get rid of Flashtalking, but you can't get rid of Artsai. And I can't manually opt out of Flashtalking (there's an opt out button, but it does nothing).
Have you disabled uBlock Origin?
Title: Re: 'Opt out from advertisers' won't work and won't turn off
Post by: Amanda2 on January 16, 2022, 04:27:50 PM
I find it weird that we have the same advertisers, but I can't get rid of Flashtalking, but you can't get rid of Artsai. And I can't manually opt out of Flashtalking (there's an opt out button, but it does nothing).
Have you disabled uBlock Origin?
Yes, it's just not working. I'll just have to wait for the devs to fix the main issue.