If you’re at home, your home’s IP address comes from your ISP, and can reveal your general location.įingerprinting: Identifying users based on the characteristics of their device or browser, such as operating system (OS), browser extensions, language, and installed fonts. Internet Protocol (IP) address: The Internet address given to your device by your network or Internet Service Provider (ISP). A third-party cookie comes from a different website this is the type used for tracking across websites. A first-party cookie comes from the site you’re on.
But when cookies are used to track users around the Web, they are considered a privacy risk. Cookies are simply part of how users interact with websites, and aren’t inherently a privacy risk. But other methods have arisen in recent years.Ĭookie: A file that contains information that identifies you to a website, so that it can keep track of who you are. You’ve probably heard of cookies, and they’re still being used. You’ve probably noticed that if you’re looking at a product on Amazon or some other shopping site, you start to see ads for that product on other websites. Social media companies such as Facebook and Pinterest integrate with websites to show like and pin buttons, and to track sites you visit. Many organizations use analytics (such as Google Analytics) to learn how their websites are being used, and details about who uses them. They track advertisements, to learn when they’re seen and clicked, and details about who sees and clicks them. Who is Tracking You?Īdvertising companies such as Google and Facebook make up a large share of trackers. Facebook knows more than what you just do on Facebookġ881 out of 6000 top websites have more than 10 trackers per page. Google trackers are present on 82% of the web traffic.Ģ5% of the web has a hidden Facebook tracking pixel. Read the rest of this post for more details, and for other ways to block tracking. In a hurry? Here are the best anti-tracking browser extensions. Configure Your Browser to Limit Tracking.Best Anti-Tracking Software: How to Increase Your Privacy.