Chrome has launched a new feature for the Topics API: Proactive Topic Blocking. This gives users an opportunity to proactively block a broad category of ad topics they're not interested in.
What is it?
This new feature allows users to select categories of ad topics they don't want to see ads for before the topics are assigned by Chrome.
Why is it important?
Previous versions of the Topics API allowed users to remove broad ad topics only after they had been assigned. This new feature allows users to proactively personalize the ads that are served using the Topics API.
How it works
To block a broad category of ad topics, the user can go to chrome://settings/adPrivacy/interests/manage and disable the categories they're not interested in.
In this example, the user chose to block the topics "Beauty & Fitness" and "Food & Drink". These topics of interest won't be shared with publishers.
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Engage and share feedback
If you have feedback or encounter any problems, you can file an issue on the Topics repository on GitHub. We will update the Topics API documentation with any changes.
[null,null,["Last updated 2024-09-09 UTC."],[[["Chrome's new Proactive Topic Blocking feature in the Topics API empowers users to prevent ad targeting based on undesired categories before they are even assigned."],["Unlike previous versions, users can now personalize their ad experience by preemptively blocking broad ad topics like \"Beauty & Fitness\" or \"Food & Drink\" through Chrome settings."],["This proactive approach enhances user privacy by ensuring selected topics are not shared with publishers, giving users more control over the ads they see."],["Feedback and issue reporting are encouraged through the Topics repository on GitHub for ongoing improvement and updates to the API documentation."]]],["Chrome introduced \"Proactive Topic Blocking\" for its Topics API, enabling users to preemptively block broad ad topic categories. Users can access this feature at `chrome://settings/adPrivacy/interests/manage` to disable categories like \"Beauty & Fitness\" or \"Food & Drink.\" This prevents Chrome from assigning and sharing these blocked topics with publishers, allowing for proactive ad personalization. Feedback on the feature can be shared via issues on the Topics GitHub repository.\n"]]