Hello again! Have you been following all the blogposts I’ve written so far this series? (If not, don’t worry. You’ve only missed one that you can go back and read right after this!) Just like you’ve been eagerly reading my posts, there are some nosey people who eagerly see what you do when you browse the internet. This is calling internet tracking, and full disclosure: it sucks (I’ve recently come to understand that this is Gen Z language)!
What is internet tracking?
Internet tracking is when the actions we take on websites, get recorded. This could be the videos we watch on YouTube or the products we view on Amazon. Synonyms for internet tracking are browser, digital, data and web tracking. Websites analyse what we do when we click on them, so that they can improve their users’ experience. It’s a very common practice, given that approximately 79% of all websites do it. It’s also important to note that internet tracking is legal, although many people do not understand it.
What’s the purpose of it?
If browser tracking happens so much, there’s got to be a good reason for it! By analysing our behaviour online, websites learn more about what we like (content we spend a lot of time viewing) and what we dislike (content we scroll past). This information is then used to deliver a more personalised experience to the visitor, such as by providing more useful and relevant advertisements.
There are some purposes of web tracking. For one, some law enforcement organisations need to record individuals’ online activity to spot, and then spy, on suspicious netizens (this is a new word that refers to a regular internet user). Understanding what users engage with, can help the creators of a website fix any parts that need correction, or recognise redundant parts and delete them.
Cookies… and other methods 🍪
Nope, not the chocolate-chip cookies you always have space for, no matter how full you are. The cookies I’m talking about, are files that record data about how you engage with a particular website. This is right from the videos you watch on YouTube to your login details. Since cookies are specific to just one website, you need to keep choosing to “Accept” or “Decline” cookies every time you visit a new webpage. There are 3 main types of cookies:
Essential cookies: These are the cookies that are required for the website to work properly. These cookies remember your chosen language, login details and other absolutely necessary data. When asking for your cookie preference, websites usually give the option of rejecting all cookies accept the essential ones… these are what those ‘essential cookies’ are.
Still harmless cookies: Some cookies aren’t required for the functioning of the website, but are used for the purpose we talked about earlier - delivering a more personalised experience. These cookies record the information of how you interact with the site, so that you can get more targeted ads or the website gets improved.
Potentially harmful cookies: Accepting third-party cookies can potentially harm you. This is when websites store your data in places that are can be accessed by third parties, such as advertisers. This means that cookies are exchanged across websites, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, unless hackers look at your data and use it against you. They would be able to access your private accounts or even impersonate you using the information they find on the cookie.
It’s best to decline all cookies except the absolutely necessary ones, so that you remain safe and secure online. They are the most commonly-used method for web tracking but there are many other ways for it to be done. You can read about all of them here: https://us.norton.com/blog/privacy/internet-tracking
Where does our data get tracked?
Search engines: Many search engines track you online to provide you with a more personalised searching experience. Google tracks almost 40% of all web traffic (the number of users on a website at a given time)!
Social media applications: Facebook and Twitter track 18% and 7% of all web traffic respectively, using cookies and other methods.
Shopping platforms: An example of these platforms tracking you is when you add a few products to your shopping cart, and then close the tab. When you reopen it, if you have logged in with an account, you see the products right there in the cart. Fun fact: Of all web traffic, Amazon tracks 17% of it.
Is internet tracking a cause of concern?
Internet tracking is not as much of a problem as, say, downloading malware. It is used primarily to provide you with targeted advertisements or enhance websites. However, when third-parties get involved, you don’t know who has access to your data, and it is important to know that. Worst comes to worst, these third-parties could use your data for cyber crimes, so you must reject those cookies. It is really a matter of opinion as to whether you should be concerned by internet tracking. If you are interested in knowing more about how to prevent your data from getting tracked, the image below suggests some actions:
Now you know a lot more about internet tracking, and will be able to make informed decisions about cookies. Remember, given the choice, always take chocolate-chip! See you later!
References:
Awati, Rahul. "What is cookie poisoning?" TechTarget, Nov. 2021, www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/cookie-poisoning#:~:text=By%20editing%20or%20manipulating%20the,or%20to%20steal%20their%20identities. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.
"Good cookies vs. bad cookies." CCM19, www.ccm19.de/en/good-cookies-vs.-boese-cookies.html#:~:text=Good%20cookies%20contain%20information%20about,website%20you%20have%20logged%20into. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.
Stouffer, Clare. "Internet tracking: How and why we're followed online." Norton, 28 June 2021, us.norton.com/blog/privacy/internet-tracking.
"Third-Party Cookies: What Are They And How Do They Work?" Cookieeyes, 20 Sept. 2021, www.cookieyes.com/blog/third-party-cookies/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.
"Understanding browser tracking." GCFGlobal.org, edu.gcfglobal.org/en/internetsafety/understanding-browser-tracking/1/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.
What is online tracking and how do websites do it? Computing Australia,
computingaustralia.com.au/what-is-online-tracking-and-how-do-websites-do-it/.
Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.
Great update Pengi. I normally use the incognito mode which is pretty low in safety but better than opening it with your profile.
Of note is that many websites do not react well to the use of a VPN and this is the biggest dowside of using a VPN.
Please keep up the great work.. and well done!
We informative, as always! I thought I knew about cookies and tracking, but evidently, I have a lot to learn!