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What is Interest-Based Advertising?

Interest-based advertising (IBA), which is sometimes called online behavioural advertising, uses data collected from your online activity on a digital device (e.g. smart phone, tablet, computer, etc.) using cookies, pixel tags, and other technologies to show ads that may be of interest to you. For example, if your online behaviour indicates a possible preference for traveling, you may be among those who are shown a targeted travel credit card offer.

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What data is used?

Online activity information collected and used for interest-based advertising may include page or product application visits, browsing habits, interaction with Royal Bank of Canada advertising, or time spent on an Royal Bank of Canada web site page. If you’re an Royal Bank of Canada client, we may also use your personal information with your consent. See the Royal Bank of Canada Global Privacy Notice for more information.

How is this data used?

Royal Bank of Canada, directly or through a Third Party Service, uses this data to present targeted Royal Bank of Canada online advertising on Royal Bank of Canada website and Third Party websites; to analyze and improve campaign performance; and as well as create audiences of people having shared interests by grouping those with similar online activity.

Managing interest-based advertising

Royal Bank of Canada is dedicated to protecting your privacy and is part of the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada's (DAAC) "AdChoices" program. You can opt out of interest-based advertising using the AdChoices tools offered at youradchoices.ca (opens to external site). Please note that you will have to do this on each browser and digital device that you use.

If you opt-out using the AdChoices tools, data collected from cookies, pixel tags, and other technologies may still be used for analytics purposes. You may also still see Royal Bank of Canada ads on Royal Bank of Canada sites and third party sites, but these ads will not be targeted based on your online activity.

We also advertise on online media sites (e.g. Bing, Google, Facebook) leveraging their technologies to present interest-based advertising. You may control interest-based advertising directly through these companies by updating your ad preference settings on their sites.

Royal Bank of Canada is committed to safeguarding the personal information our clients have entrusted to us. If you are an Royal Bank of Canada client, you are always in control of your personal information and have additional options for controlling how it is used by contacting your branch or calling us toll free at 1-800-769-2511.