Data privacy management company TRUSTe has launched an app designed to enable users to control their targeted ad privacy preferences more directly, and tell advertisers the type of ads they want to see.

The launch follows several months of field testing, where research showed that 90 per cent of users chose to share their interests with advertisers in exchange for more relevant ads, rather than opt-out for targeted ads altogether.

The app functions as an extension of the companys existing privacy compliance solution, TRUSTed Ads. Consumers will be able to update their advertising privacy preferences directly from an advert using the AdChoices icon, or use the app to manage and update their preferences and share their interests in a single place. The app covers both browser and in-app ads, and communicates users preferences directly to the ad-buying platforms responsible.

“We love personalisation, but it can feel creepy when after shopping online our purchases seems to follow us around the internet for weeks on end,” said Chris Babel, CEO of TRUSTe. “So far, the only choice has been to accept this or opt out of targeted advertising altogether and be inundated with irrelevant ads.”

Later this month, the app will be enhanced to include an Ad Relevance facility, that lets users know how relevant their advertising experience is and how their choices are impacting what ads they see. By sharing more interests, their Ad Relevance score will rise, reflecting the fact that the ads they are seeing are more tailored to their preferences.

The launch of the app comes as Facebook announces a similar functionality is being added to its ads in the US, allowing users to see why they have been targeted by a given ad, and editing which interests they are tracked by.