Reviews & Comments of Protect My Choices chrome extension

Doesn't actually do any thing...and I went through the headache of doing all the extra items required before hand on this one, as well as two others -IBA opt out (google) and Goggle Analytics opt out. to ensure that once the exention was loaded it sites would respect things. But nope. Neither one of these do anything. However I found one that DOES work - Ghostery - It Blocks Ads, trackers, you name it perfectly. Even hyperlinks from pages I normally use are sent to a Ghostery page telling you that this is a redirect and may not be safe etc....Didnt expect that. Best thing is when you can click on the extension settings of Ghostery you can SEE the details of what is being blocked--right down to the name, url etc.... Of course you can also edit settings per site as needed. It was free, but at this point I will buy the full pro version. Since it's the first extension that actually protects tracking, ads, and all that garbage that is all over webpages. Amusing part? The stuff that this "Protect my choices" was supposed to block or protect? Was in the Ghostery items. LOL Even after I had specifically stated to be opted out of all that stuff.

I find it really doesn't work as advertised

Perhaps I don't understand what this extension is actually supposed to do, but I use on average 8-12 browsers from Google across 5 devices (all synced) and still get interest-based ads even though I have it checked to opt-out in my settings in my profile, and every single time I update anything, unsync/resync to my account, essentially make any change to any one of my browsers, besides finding that my account "mysteriously" has opt-out disabled once again, Google Ad Settings (YourAdChoices/IBA) seems to think that all 126 or 128 companies listed seems to think that I wish to "Customize Ads for My Browser". As an experiment, I've gone in to the Ad settings on every single browser on a very regular basis, and most of the time, I'm "magically" unchosen to opt-out once again. Personally uBlock Origin id the only solution I've discovered that has an actual effect on my browsing experience with Chrome.

"Opt out requests for 35 participating companies were successful" ...out of 114. "Opt-out requests for 79 participating companies were not completed." It's the same kind of result every time I update choices. The numbers vary slightly but 2/3 of the so-called " participating companies " are not really participating. I have noticed no improvement with it installed. My best guess is that the so-called " participating companies " are not advertising very much, at least not at the sites I visit. After 3 attempts, again, for the THIRD update, it still failed on 2/3 of the companies. I don't have the time or patience for this nonsense. =>Removed.

Just doesnt work, a waste of time. I still need to go in an manually check all the time.

This is great!!!!

This app is only to protect your opt-out choices from YourAdChoices.com. This itself is not an ad blocker. This is supposed to help you maintain your targeted advertising opt-out cookies when you clear your cookies in a browser. Again, this can not, does not, and will not block a single ad. It will protect your targeted advertising preferences should you clear your cookies and start from scratch.

It is so amazing

Mandated by both US and EU federal law, excellent application to keep updated.

Never had a problem and it does block most ads from reoccurring...I recheck my preferences every couple months because some ad companies reinstate the ads. No problem, I just update my choices.

Doesn't work for their own ads

Like everyone else. Didn't do a good enough job. And it seemed I was getting MORE ads from Amazon and I now can't even disable this!

Does not work. USELESS

It's stable and functions as intended, but it's not actually effective because too many advertisers do not honour the opt-out. End result is - still getting loads of creepy stalking going on in the adverts I see on-line. So I use a total ad blocker instead.

Not sure that this App works. Still getting directed Ads from Amazon!

Made ads problems even worse!! Some take over page! FORGET IT PEOPLE!

It was okay, the operative word being WAS. Unfortunately, after a few months it WASN'T okay. Whenever I need to reload or refresh a page (it doesn't happen often, but it does happen) my saved 'opt-outs' were lost. Sometimes rebooting my system would bring them back, sometimes it wouldn't and I'd have to re-enter everything, only to lose it all again whenever I needed to refresh/reload again.. I now feel like this app added me to do it's work for it, when it should be the other way around. It no longer works as advertised and so I'm uninstalling it.

As said previously, doesn't seem to work; will therefore disable extension in a minute.

Doesn't work! Don't waste your time.

From the description: "Protect My Choices applies to interest-based advertising by participating companies. Once you install this extension, you will still receive online advertising from participating companies, and the Web sites you visit may still collect information for other purposes. " With that in mind I'm wondering how and why CPU load goes up. Chrome is already Page Fault king when playing movies. TANSTAFL

Though it does appear to function as advertised, it does drive up my CPU usage to 100% level on all cores. I can't figure out why there's so much CPU utilization, so I am disabling this extension until this issue is fixed.

Sweet

Serious CPU utilization issues persisted for months by now. It needs fixing! Initially, I would just kill the top CPU hogger chrome process on my desktop box but after noticing that it was *always* this extension, I started paying attention and confirmed it on both Linux and OS X. The issue has repeatedly surfaced for months. Is anybody at least looking into it?

This extension really doesn't work well as most adds get through anyway. This blocks only a very small percentage.

excellent. ads should be illegal unless opted in.

aikaw I love it

Using 100% of my CPU in the latest version, disabled.

There's something wrong with this extension, it's hogging my CPU. I had to disable it :(

I keep trying it, but everytime I do I wind up disabling it because of excessive cpu usage. I don't know what it's doing but it runs one core at 100% until I get tired of listening to the fan in my laptop and disable it again.

very high CPU usage

Slows my system to an unacceptable turtle's pace. I'll remove it immediately

Need to fix CPU usage.

It does what it says, but it does slow down the system a fair bit and mine is already slow so will have to remove it. And that's even with the app that cleans your computer.

Honestly, I think I've gotten more ads having this thing than before. Also, the 100% CPU spike thing is also happening to me as well.

Runs CPU to 100%. Developer should have tested it a LITTLE before forcing the update on the public. This isn't some trivial, small-users-impacted bug.

The latest version (1.1.9) is buggy -- it uses 100% CPU and the JS console shows that it just keeps retrying the same operation over and over. Someone needs to put together a proper bug reporting system (i.e. create a GitHub or equiv project).

doesn't keep all your selections. pointless app

Works and does exactly what it was designed to do !

I am angry that I HAVE to have this app - it should be that advertisers have to have OUR permission to do this crud, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO OPT _OUT, THEY should have to ask MY permission to opt-in. It is a pain in the neck because it wants to store "cookies" for all their sites that I do not want to send me personalized ads from, I delete my entire browsing history , all cookies, everything every single NIGHT. I should not have to give THEM my valuable storage space in order to NOT get things I do NOT want!!!!!

The low ratings on this is just lack of understanding of it. Great app. Does exactly what it says. It is not an ad blocker. It just stops the end user from being followed and shown ads based on their movement and pages visited. It is a great app - must have.

garbage

As best I can tell, this extension has done what it is supposed to do since I installed it over a year ago, but does anyone know why the newest version is disabled for me until I give it permission to do something new, namely, "read and change your data on a number of websites"? That doesn't sound good so I still have the extension disabled.

Weird, recent updates seemed to temporarily circumvent my Ad Block Pro extension and start showing me ads once more. Also experiencing higher CPU usage, though not sure if it's Chrome or this plugin. I've disabled it for now and pushing ADP up in it's priority of use as that update has shown targeted ads.

Massive runaway CPU usage. Avoid until fixed.

I can only shake my head when I see all the bad reviews. This extension is not an ad blocker nor is it in any relation to the spam that you receive via mail. All this extension does, is setting cookies that tell participating companies that you do not want them to personalise advertisements for you. It's a good effort and saves the user time as she does not have to opt-out manually from any of the participating companies. Besides, these cookies are set permanently and stay unaffected from cleaning your browser history, which is another plus.

it does nothing! I still get hundreds of ads.

It does NOT reduce ads! It avalanches them into my e-mail without any option to delete them.--When companies do this, do they have any realization that their products become anathema to the viewer? That would seem to defeat the whole purpose for which they make their proclamations!

Ralentiza mucho el funcionamiento de Chrome y el rendimiento de la CPU

It downloads cookies to the browser, and I have no reason to believe a self-regulated industry has my best interest in hand. I'll stick to managing cookies myself by blocking the ones that have no reason to be stored on my computer.

Getting runaway cpu usage with this extension - something like 80-90% cpu on a poor little mac mini, grinding it to a halt. Unimpresive for something that should basically supply cookies, as far as I can tell.

It is encouraging to see some self regulation in the ad industry.

after chrome restarts, I have high cpu utilization.

Of course, this will do nothing to eliminate ads. For that, you want ABP, Ghostify, Privacy Badger, Ad Guard, and others. What this is supposed to do is keep you from being tracked from ad companies - basically, they should stop tailoring advertisements based on your search choices. It's an analytics opt-out... Just one more layer of protection, assuming it works.

Good replacement for Google Opt-out extension which was depericated.

I just "upgraded" to this plugin since google is discontinuing their IBA Opt-Out plugin. To those who are complaining and giving one star because they still are seeing ads: This is not an all in one extension to get rid of ads in your Browser. Install other extensions to help: personally I use Ghostery and AdBlockPlus and rarely see any ads. Sometimes you need to pause those other ad&tracking blockers to enable certain things on websites. but its well worth having them installed

As far as I can tell, it does exactly what it claims to do: reduces targeted ads from companies tracking where I go online. The assistance with maintaining my privacy is appreciated!

people need to learn how to read, this is not designed to stop ads or block them... its designed to stop companies from tailoring ads for "YOU" based on what you browse and do on the web... i head hurts from all the ignorance...

Pretty good

I stupidly believed you when you said it would take care of ads. This is a lie it does absolutely nothing. You need to tell Google and Protect My Choices. Bad enough you don't care about your reputation but that doesn't give you the right to make them look bad, cuz now they sure as hell do, thanks to YOU!!

does not work

Does very little if anything to stop ads or interest based ads online through many websites. Google Chrome doesn't force Yahoo, PlentyOfFish, Bookoo, AOL, FaceBook, Pinterest, and many others to accept your opt-out settings, so I am constantly adding companies and constantly having them come back as sideline ads. SICK OF THIS!!!

It does do just what they tell you it will. What it does do is block over 75% of them and stop you from being tracked when browsing...

I know it does not claim to stop adds, but the adds on mine and my wife's computers has double, tripled, quadrupled since using the sill opt out thing and I wish I could undo it!!!

To the people giving this extension a bad rating because you're "still getting ads". Please take the time to read. Let's make it simple for you: THIS DOES NOT ELIMINATE ADS. It never claims to. The description even says, "you'll still get ads". All it does it keep websites from tracking your browsing in order to deliver specific ads based on your browsing history. Don't rate an extension based on something it's not even designed to do.

First it's needing to put your phone number into a database to keep calling telemarketers away.. now we have to opt-out of web based advertising. I mean, some of it is fine with me, I understand needing to keep them for free sites, but dear lord.. When will it be enough?! I see a Wall-E future in that one.. But this helps. Some of the opts help and reverts back to the basic throw down of ads, instead of the 50 on a single site.

Still getting ads.

You need to OPT OUT FROM ONLINE BEHAVIORAL ADVERTISING! first then install this app works like a charm

continue to get ads!!