Why targeted ads despite VPN on iPadOS 14.3 using Safari?

[Guest]

VPN is often “not available” on my iPad. But when it is active I can see “VPN” text in a rectangle on the upper right of the screen), the ads in news media and other websites show ads targeting my age and the city I live in. Shouldn’t this be “invisible” when VPN is on?

Does it have something to do with that it is not possible to sign out of Google on an iPad, even though I use duck.duck.go for searches and do not always have Gmail open?

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Intra, 

Welcome back!

1. After installing KVPN on  iPad OS14.3, were all browsers reset to default? 
2. Is Save browser history on? 
3. Why is it not possible to sign out of Safari Google account ?
4. May we have a full screen image of “VPN text in a rectangle on the upper right of the screen” please? 
5. Is KVPN Premium or Free? 

Please post back? 

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳+🐋

[Berny]

@Intra The “VPN” icon  in a rectangle  (integrated in iOS) always displays when a VPN connection is active on IPad & IPhone , this “VPN” icon appears also when  activating the Anti-phishing option in Kaspersky Security Cloud for iOS.

The ads are  depending on the sites you are visiting.

I can’t reproduce your logout/login issue  on my Google account or other accounts, did you try another virtual location? 

[manu011]

I am really happy to be there and wanna share with you some great information.

[Guest]

Flood and Berny, thank you for taking the time to reply. The delay in my reply is because I have been trying to replicate the VPN “not available” message as well as the ad targeting, but both problems have magically disappeared.

 

My definition of magic is: I don’t know enough to understand what I am doing differently on the IPad now compared to when I started this post, only that the VPN (paid version) is staying consistently on, and with it, websites are no longer guessing my gender, age, and location.

 

Comparing ads I see on the same URLs on my Windows PC with Mozilla vs IPad with Safari, both with VPN on and then VPN off, there are less ads of any type on the PC, although I don’t know if that is because Mozilla is doing a better job of blocking them than Safari, or if it is because I have the Kaspersky Total Security on the PC and it isn’t available for the Safari, is it?

“ activating the Anti-phishing option in Kaspersky Security Cloud for iOS. “

Um, how do I tell this is on my IPad and if not, how can I add it? My IPad is 5 years old. I thought Kaspersky security software was not available at the time I set it up.

 

Berny, I will try another location if the login issue starts happening again. I haven’t changed the “optimal” before, as I figured Kaspersky knows better than me.

 

“ The ads are depending on the sites you are visiting. “

If I’m looking at an article on a skier’s magazine website, then I would expect to see ads for ski resorts, ski equipment, etc. while I am reading the article. But if I’m looking at some of the top large news websites, for example CNN, Fox, USA Today and I am not logging in to accounts (using URLS not apps), even if I look at them daily, they won’t have a profile on me, will they? So if I use USA Today to look up a zip code weather information, USA Today will for that session know the location I am interested in, but not if I close my browser and bring it up again?

 

Flood, “ Why is it not possible to sign out of Safari Google account ? “

All I know is what is stated here:

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/8154?co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&hl=en?

“ The only way to sign out of the Gmail app is to remove your entire account from your phone or tablet. “ 

I also have the YouTube app on the IPad, and there has been an association of watching a topic on YouTube (history is paused but Watch List is on) and ads when I’m surfing.

 

“ Is Save browser history on? “

Safari has a “Clear History and Website Data” that when I’ve used it, also removes my list of Bookmarks, which is inconvenient. I don’t see a separate Browser History On/Off tool. Is it the slider for “Frequently Visited Sites”, which is currently on?

 

I apologize for the length of this.

 

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @Intra, 

Thank you for posting back & the additional information👌

No apology necessary, we’re here & available whenever you’re ready☺

• Which KVPN version is installed please? 

1. Re “ VPN (paid version) is staying consistently on”, it’s possible, when you first reported the problem, the browser was retaining the history, even after the VPN was working properly.
2. Loosing bookmarks is definitely painful, we always export bookmarks before running any refresh procedures, then import, once the reset is done. 
3. Frequently visited sites will populate “old” data. 
4. Don’t compare KTS on the PC & KVPN on the iOS, that’s not a “like for like” comparison. KTS is providing a wide range of protective functions, unlike KVPN, it’s function is to hide the source IP. 
5. VPN software has no capacity to block ads, the purpose of a VPN is to hide the originating IP. 
6. Correct, the KTS license does not provide AV software for iOS. 
7. Regarding Kaspersky Security Cloud, it needs to be installed as a separate app, however, the free version may have advertisings, to not have that problem, a Personal or Family paid subscription is required; that would mean paying full freight for 2 av solutions: KTS & KSC🤐  
8. Kaspersky Security Cloud, for iOS, was not available 5 years ago. 

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳+🐋

References:

KSC for iOS

About KSC for iOS

iOS KSC Hardware and software requirements

KSC End User License Agreement for iOS

[Guest]

Floods, thank you for the detailed explanations.

 

“ Frequently visited sites will populate “old” data.  “

I just want to be sure I understand; so it is Safari that remembers this?

 

“ VPN software has no capacity to block ads, the purpose of a VPN is to hide the originating IP.  “

I do use the Show Reader View often, which helps a lot so auto-running videos don’t crash a website when I scroll quickly.

 

Berny, I’m getting No VPN messages again

(see screen capture). But your suggestion to change servers does the trick. Thanks.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Floods, thank you for the detailed explanations.

1. “ Frequently visited sites will populate “old” data. 
2. “I just want to be sure I understand; so it is Safari that remembers this?
3. I do use the Show Reader View . 

Hello @Intra, 

You’re most welcome☺

Thank you for taking the time to update us👌 , we’re delighted with the outcome🤸

1. Correct, KVPN only “remembers” data quantity used & remote virtual location(s) → both for (your) statistical information only → image 1 & KSC End User License Agreement for iOS.
2. The “ Frequently visited sites”  feature is entirely Safari, nothing to do with Kaspersky.
3. Show Reader View, again, a Safari feature, nothing to do with Kaspersky. 

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳+🐋