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Ever feel like advertisements are ... following you? From webpages to your social media feeds and maybe even as commercials on your favorite streaming platform?

You’re not alone. You’re being tracked. We all are.

Internet tracking is virtually standard practice for web browsers and internet-connected devices, with websites watching how we engage with their content to improve user experiences and advertisers poring over our data to target us with relevant products and services, among other rationales.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you or your data collected is at risk, but shouldn’t we all know how and why our data is being collected? It’s our data, after all. That’s precisely what we’re exploring here — the what, why, and how of internet tracking, plus tips to cover your digital tracks, if you choose to.

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HTTP cookies (also called web cookies, Internet cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small blocks of data created by a web server while a user is browsing a website and placed on the user's computer or other device by the user's web browser. Cookies are placed on the device used to access a website, and more than one cookie may be placed on a user's device during a session.

Cookies serve useful and sometimes essential functions on the web. They enable web servers to store stateful information (such as items added in the shopping cart in an online store) on the user's device or to track the user's browsing activity (including clicking particular buttons, logging in, or recording which pages were visited in the past).[1] They can also be used to save for subsequent use information that the user previously entered into form fields, such as names, addresses, passwords, and payment card numbers.

Authentication cookies are commonly used by web servers to authenticate that a user is logged in, and with which account they are logged in. Without the cookie, users would need to authenticate themselves by logging in on each page containing sensitive information that they wish to access. The security of an authentication cookie generally depends on the security of the issuing website and the user's web browser, and on whether the cookie data is encrypted. Security vulnerabilities may allow a cookie's data to be read by an attacker, used to gain access to user data, or used to gain access (with the user's credentials) to the website to which the cookie belongs (see cross-site scripting and cross-site request forgery for examples).

Tracking cookies, and especially third-party tracking cookies, are commonly used as ways to compile long-term records of individuals' browsing histories — a potential privacy concern that prompted European and U.S. lawmakers to take action in 2011. European law requires that all websites targeting European Union member states gain "informed consent" from users before storing non-essential cookies on their device.

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Ways to Protect Your Privacy

There are numerous steps that you can take in order to boost security in your home system. The easiest method is to change your default administrator password. Many folks simply plug in their new routers and don’t set up new passwords. Things can get tricky if a hacker gains access to your router and changes the settings. You should also disable guest network access so that strangers can’t use your account any time they like and switch off your SSID, so that your network isn’t seen by everybody within range.

Many routers enable the homeowner to set up numerous network IDs. To build more security, create one network for your computer, printer, and other computing devices and a separate SSID for additional household devices, including game consoles and smart TVs. If your devices get infected with malware, the hacker is limited to only the one network, ensuring the other devices remain safeguarded.

Encryption also plays an important role in the security and welfare of your connected devices. It is critical to use the strongest encryption schemes available, such as WPA2. Pair this with a strong, multifaceted password and increase your safety. Additionally, you should change the passwords to all of your devices and make them as strong as possible. Regularly updated passwords mean less chance of attack.

Setup a firewall. While they won’t protect against all attacks, firewalls can ward off backdoor attempts. This type of security software shouldn’t just be on your computers. Your smartphone, smartwatch, and other mobile devices need protection, too.

While you’re out and about, only connect to Wi-Fi hotspots that are secure. If you’re at a café or airport, you could be browsing on a hacked network, allowing hackers to gain access to your web history and device.

There are many ways to protect your privacy on connected devices in the age of the Internet of Things. Be mindful by changing the password for all of your devices, setting up a security system, and ensuring your home network is safe.

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Whether you are logging into a bank account, sending an email to a co-worker, or posting a picture to a social media page, every action you take can potentially compromise your digital presence. Identity fraud has become an epidemic in recent years, and it is no doubt due in part to how little thought people give to their cybersecurity. And the things we do online can have massive consequences offline.

It could just be a few faulty credit card purchases or theft of your crypto assets. But it could also be someone using your SSN to access the credit they have no intention of repaying. Someone may also try to impersonate you on social media and interact with your friends with malicious intentions or share confidential information that could negatively impact your business. Even your former employer may get all data about your activities. These outcomes can wreak havoc on your personal and professional life. The good news? Avoiding problems is actually not very difficult. Below are five ways to protect your digital identity.

Ensure your connection is encrypted

Take a look at the address bar on your browser. See the little lock on the left-hand side? That means that this site is using encryption. By using such sites, you ensure that you are safely sharing your data. Unencrypted sites leave you vulnerable and put you in danger of having your personal information stolen.

It could be harmless if you are just playing a game or reading a blog post. But if you are inputting passwords or credit card information, this could get risky. It is especially dangerous to use public Wi-Fi networks, where attackers with the right skillset can see your activity.

It is not just about the sites you visit, however. If you store information in the cloud, make sure you are getting the extra protection of the cloud. To be extra safe, use a VPN that hides and encrypts your traffic.

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the bad and the ugly sides of data tracking

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the bad and the ugly sides of data tracking

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Imagine a typical day online: you start by checking texts and emails, then scroll through Twitter on the bus and post a photo of your morning coffee to Instagram, tagging the coffee shop. At lunch, you check showtimes for a movie that a friend recommended on Facebook and look up prices for some new shoes you’ve had your eye on.

That’s only a few websites, but every time you’re online, you leave behind traces of your activity. Behind the scenes, a host of “third-party” companies – entities that are separate from the sites you visited – can track your activity and collect your data as you move through the Web. Later in the day you begin seeing recommended tweets about that movie, Web ads for those shoes and suggestions for coffees to try. It’s no coincidence, it’s data tracking at work. And it’s working on tracking your browser, apps and emails.

Not all data collection is bad. Websites often save your data to better personalize and improve your experiences with them. They use “first party” cookies – small data files placed in our browsers – to remember your language, layout preferences or the contents of a shopping cart.

Third parties, on the other hand, work with websites to insert additional tracking methods – such as their own cookies and Web beacons – to record what you read, click and visit online. This data collection, which is invisible to users, reveals more about you than where you’ve been. It creates a picture of everything about you from your preferences to your identity. Advertisers use that data to target you with ads and content across the Web and on your smartphone.

Online advertising is nearly inescapable, especially on social networks and media sites. There’s a logic to this: it is the main way that most online enterprises and publications sustain themselves. It supports a lot of the Web. Two of the five largest companies in the world– Facebook and Google – earn almost all of their revenue through advertising. News and entertainment media also rely on advertising to support journalism and content creation.

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Internet tracking is an analysis of online users’ behaviors, generally for the purpose of delivering a more personalized browsing experience. It’s also referred to as browser tracking, digital tracking, data tracking, or web tracking.

In simpler terms, internet tracking is how websites study our behavior when we visit them. And it’s more common than you might think, as 79 percent of websites apparently do it. Worth mentioning is that website tracking is not illegal, but it’s also not widely understood.

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They say the more you know, the more you understand. That’s pretty much the premise of internet tracking: The more websites know about us, the more they understand us — and, ideally, they use that intel to better serve us.

That can translate into a quicker and more convenient browsing experience on websites. You might even consider and find value in how YouTube or Netflix is so good at suggesting the show you want to binge-watch next. Or that Amazon manages to show you the product you need to buy right when you open the site.

But internet tracking isn’t entirely about user experience. For perspective, here are few more reasons websites track us:

To create revenue streams: Some websites don’t only store your user data but they might sell it, too, to advertising companies looking to target you with relevant products.

To help aid law enforcement: Some law enforcement agencies monitor online user behaviors to spy on suspicious individuals.

To measure business performance: Businesses reference their website analytics, meaning what consumers engage with most on their sites, to inform their content strategies or product releases.

To monitor a website’s usability: Keeping a close eye on how website visitors engage with a website can help websites pinpoint and correct any areas that are falling short.

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Should we be worried about website tracking?

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Should we be worried about website tracking?

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There are indeed a few causes for concern when it comes to data tracking, most of which regard our data privacy and security and transparency surrounding where user data is stored and who has access to it. That’s because the more complacent we are about sharing our data — meaning accepting cookies, for instance —the farther our data is out of our hands.

At its best, internet tracking results in trailer-made digital worlds for online users, with the most relevant of advertisement and content delivered right to our homepages. And hey, 43 percent of consumers prefer these personalized advertisements and 23 percent admit they don’t mind their data being tracked to get them. At its worse, however, internet tracking can result in user data being shared with third parties and stored in databases susceptible to cyber threats. It also can open up a can of internet privacy issues.

At the end of the day, every individual values their online privacy differently which means some individuals might be more worried about data tracking than others. Understanding how — and where — we’re tracked online can help put you on the right track to avoid being followed online, if you so choose.