What is Criteo? The ad tool that brings products back to you.
Criteo explained simply: how retargeting ads follow you after browsing Indian shopping sites, what data is shared, and how to limit it.
The simple answer
Criteo is an advertising-technology company known for retargeting: showing you ads for products you looked at after you leave a website. If a product you viewed keeps reappearing across other sites, a retargeting tool may be involved.
To do this, the tool needs a signal that you viewed or considered something. The privacy question is what is shared, how you are recognised across sites, and whether the site told you this would happen.
What to check
If this is unclear, treat it as a signal to ask the company for a plain-English explanation.
If this is unclear, treat it as a signal to ask the company for a plain-English explanation.
If this is unclear, treat it as a signal to ask the company for a plain-English explanation.
If this is unclear, treat it as a signal to ask the company for a plain-English explanation.
Retargeting turns a visit into an ad.
State of Privacy treats advertising tools as public signals because they can convert a quiet visit into a marketing event that follows you elsewhere.
What to do next
Keep it practical: take one action, save proof, and avoid giving more data than the task needs.
Keep it practical: take one action, save proof, and avoid giving more data than the task needs.
Keep it practical: take one action, save proof, and avoid giving more data than the task needs.
People also ask
Why do ads follow me after I leave a site?
Retargeting tools can tell ad platforms you viewed a product so they can show it again elsewhere.
Is Criteo collecting my data?
Retargeting needs activity signals about what you viewed. What exactly is shared depends on the site setup.
How do I stop retargeting?
Use ad personalisation controls, block third-party cookies and use privacy extensions.
How many trackers run on your pages? Does your privacy policy name them? Can you answer a data-rights email? If you don't know, we can help you find out.
Talk to Meridian Bridge Strategy →Your personal data belongs to you. Under DPDP, every company must tell you what they have and delete it if you ask. One email is all it takes.
Get the template email →We investigated 107 Indian company websites. The public report shows what we found.