When you then visit the social networking app or the Facebook website, you’ll receive ads targeted to your browsing preferences. That might already be a little too Big Brother for some users. But here’s the kicker: Facebook also sends out ads to Internet users who don’t even have Facebook accounts. How? The ads are generated based on the websites users browse.

Read More: How to Use the Facebook App Like a Pro

The company suggests that they have the ads under control. They say that they only send out ads that aren’t deceptive and don’t have sound, so the Facebook-controlled ads are arguably less intrusive than other ads. Plus, the company says, if you’re going to see ads anyway, you might as well see something you’re interested in seeing. But, regardless of Facebook’s justification, some users still don’t want to be tracked or marketed to by Facebook. The following will tell you how to turn off the ad tracking once and for all.

For Facebook Users

In the left-hand side of your settings bar, click on “Ads.” There, you will see a column that says, “Ads based on my preferences.” Here, you can click on “Visit ad preferences.” There, you can limit or disable browsing-tracking and tailor your ads.

For Non-Facebook Users

If you’re not a Facebook user, you can stop ad tracking by setting certain preferences on your phone. On your desktop browser, you can opt out of ads entirely by signing up with the Digital Advertising Alliance, a service that lets you opt out of browsing-tracking altogether. Make sure to do this on every browser that you use.

On your phone, though, you can also turn off tracking. To do it, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to “Settings.”
2. There, click on “Google” and then “Ads.”
3. There, choose “Opt out of interest-based ads.”

Now, Facebook and other tracking services won’t keep track of your browsing! Unfortunately, Facebook users can’t be entirely private online or completely opt out of the social media network selling their information to other companies. If you don’t want to deal with online tracking or targeted ads, then you’ll have to avoid Facebook — and really, any online activity — all together.

Videos are a powerful tool for businesses to utilize, not only for advertising purposes, but in order to get their content to their followers and customers. According to Facebook, more people are now watching videos, especially on mobile devices. In 2016, Facebook users watched more than 100 hours of video per day on Facebook, and video-watching on Instagram increased by more than 40%.

Read More: Is the Facebook App Draining Your Phone’s Battery?

Most videos that come up in your Facebook feed will be trustworthy in terms of security, but they might contain more ads than before. Recently, Facebook announced that more video publishers will now be able to show ad breaks mid-video. Previously, this option was only available to a select group of publishers. Video publishers will get slightly more than half of the money from advertisements, which will help publishers to more successfully monetize their content.

How the Ads Work
After 20 seconds of a video, an ad can play. Each ad must be at least two minutes apart. This is more similar to how advertising works on YouTube, except that ads on Facebook videos will not show before a video starts. These ads can be featured on pre-recorded video and live video, although live video must be live for at least four minutes before an ad can play.

This mid-video advertising option also resembles TV commercials. This is a good move for Facebook and businesses alike. If the future of TV is now online (through streaming services), then this should help advertisers to have their content seen.

The Future of Video on Facebook
It’s no secret that Facebook is trying to more closely mimic YouTube. But they’re also trying to go beyond that, by incorporating many new features to make Facebook your one-stop-shop on the Web. Over the years, they’ve added a separate messaging service, several of Snapchat’s features, video-calling, Instant Articles, live videos, and beyond. More recently, Facebook hired an MTV executive to help them make their own Facebook original TV shows. If this becomes successful, Facebook could be the streaming service of the future. Why would you want to go to another website when you can do everything on one site? That’s how Facebook feels, at least — and they believe that their users feel the same.

Brave Software
Ads are annoying, but they also serve a purpose. Since ads do help websites make money, blocking them entirely may not sit right with everyone. If that describes you, take a look at Brave Software. You can choose to view ads that respect your privacy, or you can even pay sites directly, so you can feel good about blocking ads.

Read More: A Review of the Innovative Dolphin Web Browser

Ghostery
When you browse online, you leave behind a footprint. That footprint is in the form of valuable data that you may not want to allow just anyone to access. The Ghostery Browser Extension can help you understand different types of trackers, so you can decide what you want to do. You can remove the clutter, load pages faster, and get back to online shopping without worrying about remarketing tactics revealing the surprise later. Share your anonymous data to help keep the service free.

AdMuncher
Block all the ads. AdMuncher will gobble them up so you don’t need to see them. With constant development for well over a decade, interrupting ads are a thing of the past. Formerly a premium product, the developer has recently decided to make AdMuncher free.

PSafe Total
This app may not be an ad blocker, but it is indispensable for anyone browsing online. Whether you opt for PSafe Total or PSafe Total Windows, you can keep your Android cell phone and your laptop free of potentially harmful viruses and malware. It’s a simple way to keep your devices secure without any hassle. In fact, this app takes things even further. More than a virus blocker, it also helps to keep your private images under wraps and can keep your WhatsApp password protected. This way, your personal images won’t get into the wrong hands — like those of a nosy colleague or friend.

A Conspiracy Is Born
The whole idea came about when someone noticed that the Facebook mobile app requests permission to use your microphone when you install it on your phone. This led to speculation that the app was asking to access users’ microphones in order to listen in on them. The idea was brought into the mainstream after an NBC interview with a communications professor from the University of South Florida went viral. In the interview, Professor Kelli Burns performed an “experiment” during which she spoke aloud about certain things, then showed the audience her Facebook news feed which almost immediately displayed ads related to her conversation topic. It seemed convincing, and many viewers took it as concrete evidence that Facebook was indeed listening.

Read More: How to Protect Your Webcam From Hacking

Finding the Truth
Facebook released an official statement to address these concerns, letting users know that the app only accesses microphones for certain functions that require it. For instance, Facebook Live needs mic access in order to work properly. Users were reminded that they have the option to turn off the permissions for the microphone if they don’t feel comfortable with it enabled. But what about the Kelli Burns interview? Burns herself has since come forward to set the record straight, saying the ads that showed up on her news feed could easily have been based off of her “likes” and other activity on the site.

Not Listening, Just Watching
While they assure us that the listening to us theory is off-base, Facebook is forthcoming that they use much of the information found in your profile and newsfeed to create a targeted ad experience for you. While they aren’t literally “watching” you, pages you follow and posts you like are used to help Facebook figure out which advertisements might be most relevant to you. They also use demographic information, such as where you live, how old you are, and your political preferences. Targeted ads are nothing new, and they’re not exclusive to Facebook. This kind of marketing is almost as old as the Internet itself.

While Facebook may not be listening to you through your phone’s mic, spyware that enables someone to do just that does exist. To protect your device from infiltration by spying programs and other malware, always run a comprehensive security app like PSafe Total.