Do you wonder why a simple Google search on your favorite products results in ads on different other websites about the same products? The ads are following you, and your data is being collected. It is possible because of website tracking.
What is website tracking?
Website tracking is the act of analyzing and recording the behavior of users on a website. Companies use this information to target advertising, profiles, and analytics. The trackers collect information like where you are from, which device you are using, what you do on a website, how long you spend on a page, what you are searching for, your shopping preferences, and what links you have clicked on.
Third-party tracking is when a third party tracks the information from the website (first-party) of the users that have visited and uses them for serving targeted content. Third-party tracking happens without users’ knowledge. They are often unaware of who and why these data are collected. Hence, it is an unethical practice when it comes to the privacy of an individual. Imagine an unknown source aware of all your details when you have no idea how they got it. Worse, you are usually not aware of anyone holding these data unless you see personalized content.
Why do websites track users?
Like mentioned before, website tracking serves many purposes. Let’s look at them in detail:
- Analytics: This lets the website operators determine how the site is performing by gathering information, such as the visitors’ location, duration on the page, search history, and the number of visitors.
- Advertising: Websites monitor and record visitor’s information to use it for targeted advertising. They gather information such as location, IP address, browser info, device info, online purchases, social media info, and previous visits.
- Personalized content: Websites track users to create profiles based on their online behavior to provide a customized user experience. For example, when you search for and watch videos on YouTube, the algorithm monitors this and recommends similar videos to watch next. YouTube has recorded your preferences based on your watch history and uses it to enhance your experience on the platform.
How do websites track users?
Common methods of website tracking are:
- Tracking cookies: Tracking cookies are cookies set by mostly third parties on your device to track your information. These cookies are set by another website and they track you across websites. Tracking is mainly performed for advertisem*nts and analytics. Read moreabout tracking cookies here.
