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NAI Consumer Opt-Out Protector Add-on for Firefox (Beta Version)

What is the NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector Add-On?

The NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector is a Firefox browser add-on that helps "protect" user preferences for online behavioral advertising. Once installed, the NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector add-on helps the Firefox browser "remember" previously set behavioral advertising opt outs by protecting the opt out cookies, even if a user subsequently invokes the "remove all cookies" browser preference.

Basic Steps

  1. Install the NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector Add-On.
  2. Visit the NAI opt-out tool to opt out of any or all NAI members.
  3. Confirm via the status page of the NAI opt-out tool that your desired opt outs are set. (The status page is both the first, and the last page of the NAI opt-out process. It shows from which NAI members you are currently opted out.)
  4. Check for updates occasionally.

Installing and Uninstalling the Add-On:

  • You can find excellent descriptions of how to use Firefox add-ons here.

Glossary:

  • Opt out: NAI member companies provide the ability for you to "opt out" of their online behavioral advertising. The opt outs of NAI member companies are stored in cookies that get set in your web browser. This add-on helps protect the opt outs by protecting the cookies from deletion.
  • Opt out cookie: An opt out cookie is a standard web browser cookie file that stores your opt out choice with regard to behavioral advertising served by NAI members. Each NAI member has its own opt out cookie or cookies.
  • Registry: A registry is a list of opt outs that are protected by the Add On. The NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector Add-On is preconfigured with a registry of opt outs from these NAI member companies.
  • Protected Opt Out: Opt outs are stored in cookies. A protected opt out is one where the add-on will protect the opt out cookie from deletion if the Firefox "remove all cookies" feature is invoked. The cookies that store protected opt outs are harder to delete than un-protected cookies, but they can be deleted.

The Preferences pane:

  • The Add-On preferences pane may be accessed in one of two ways.
    • 1. Through the "NAI Opt Out Protector" option in the Firefox "Tools" menu.
    • 2. Through the "Preferences" button in the Firefox Add-ons dialog, also available through the "Tools" menu.
  • The preferences pane shows two key elements. On the top is a list of the registries to which you are subscribed. On the bottom is a list of Protected Opt Outs. The top part allows you to add and remove registries of protected opt outs. The Protected Opt Outs list includes ONLY protected opt outs that have already been set -- those for which an opt out cookie is present. Visit the NAI opt-out tool to set opt outs for NAI members.

Adding Other Registries:

  • The NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector comes pre-configured with the NAI registry. If entities other than the NAI publish registries of opt outs to be protected, you can add those to the NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector. In the preferences pane, click on "Add". A dialog box will open asking for the Internet address (URL) of the registry. Paste or type it in, and then click OK. The dialog box will close. Now click "Save". The Protected Opt Outs window will update to include any cookies that are listed in the new registry and that are currently present in your browser. Please remember that you should only install registries from reputable sources and only for purposes you completely understand.

Learning About Updates to Registries:

  • The Add On is designed to check periodically for updates to the registries selected by users. The NAI registry may change over time: new members may be added, or occasionally members will leave. Click on the "info" link to go to a web page that will give you access to update information. When there are significant changes to the NAI registry, or when other important new information is available, the NAI Consumer Opt Out Protector will let you know by displaying a yellow alert triangle in the Registries pane of the preferences panel.

 

 Deleting Registries and Un-protecting Opt Outs:

  • To remove protection for opt outs in a particular registry, delete the registry on which they are listed. (Unprotecting opt outs does not in itself alter your opt out choice. To change your opt out preference, you must take another step and delete the cookies.)
  • To delete a registry, and unprotect the opt outs listed in it, highlight the registry in the Registries list of the Preferences Pane, then click delete. The Protected Opt Outs list will update, removing the list entries for any opt outs that are no longer protected.
  • Deleting a registry will mean that the opt outs in that registry will no longer be protected (unless they are also listed in another registry that you have installed). Deleting a registry will not undo an opt out or delete any cookies. To undo an opt out, you must remove the actual opt out cookie by following the instructions under "Changing your opt out choice."

Changing Your Opt Out Choice:

  • To undo your opt out choice with regard to one or more NAI members, you must delete the opt out cookies associated with those members. There are two ways to do this.
    • 1. The preferred method is to first delete the registry on which the opt out cookie is listed, and then to delete the associated opt out cookies. The easiest way to delete the cookies is, after deleting the registry, to delete all cookies. In Firefox you can do this using the "Clear Private Data" or "Clear Recent History" function in the "Tools" menu. If you want to delete individual cookies, go to the Privacy tab in Firefox's preferences, find the list of cookies, and highlight and delete the ones you want to remove.
    • 2. The other way is to just delete the opt out cookie. This leaves the registry intact. Thus, if you ever reset the opt out, it will be protected again. To use this method, go to the Privacy tab in Firefox's preferences, and find the list of cookies currently installed on your computer. Then in the list of cookies, find the one you want to delete, highlight it by clicking on it once, and then click Remove Cookies.

Returning to the Default Configuration:

  • After making configuration changes, such as adding or deleting registries, you may want to return to the default configuration. You can do this using the "Restore Defaults" feature. For example, if you accidentally or intentionally deleted the NAI registry, NAI members' opt out cookies will not be protected. Using "Restore Defaults" is the easiest way to restore the NAI registry, and thus resume protecting NAI members' opt out cookies. To restore the default configuration, open the NAI Opt Out Cookie Protector preferences, as explained above, and then click on the "Restore Defaults" button in the lower left corner of the preferences pane.

Known Issues

  • Certain privacy and security programs restrict the use of cookies, and may interfere with the ability of the NAI Opt Out Cookie Protector to protect your opt out preferences.

Reporting Technical Issues

  • Please click here to report issues relating to the Add-On. This mail box is for technical issues only.

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