You can turn off interest based ads for yourself. From Google: www.google.com/settings/ads and for other networks: www.aboutads.info/choices/

It works -but.
But you need to do it more than once before all preferences are changed.
But you need to do it per machine/device.

I had difficulty turning them off from one or two networks and had to repeat the process 3 times, the last time, manually turning them off.

Cool, thanks.

[added]
Google was already off. I ran the 3rd party ad tool and it seems to have worked :)

Timely topic, very timely.

I searched an item a week ago on eBay where I quickly purchased it. Yep AdSense follows me everywhere with ads for that item but for one other ad exception.

Ads for plastic nuts and bolts, seen them ads follow me for over twelve months now. Yes I also purchased them before Christmas 2016 - in fact about 18 months back.

Dumb is as dumb does.

Dumb is as dumb does.

And yet is one more example of privacy invasion that's about to bite a few tech giants in the ...

Personalize ads was spooky from the get go and recent events have proved that to the point gov regulation might (repeat MIGHT) be in the future.

Personalize ads was spooky from the get go and recent events have proved that to the point gov regulation might (repeat MIGHT) be in the future.

The EU GDPR might inspire other countries.