Skip to content

Web Tracking: How Your Online Activity is Being Monitored

Here

Web tracking is the activity (and ability) of a website (using special software tools) to keep tabs on website visitors. As you might expect, Web tracking is meant to improve your experience online with that website—much in the same way that television commercials are intended to improve your life (not just your TV-viewing experience) when you watch TV. Plus, TV commercials pay for the TV shows that are on. We understand that.

But…how many of us really like television commercials? And how would we like it if we knew that those TV advertisers were (without our permission) somehow tracking what commercials we were watching on what shows? Or when we switched channels, or when we bought something, or when we called a telephone number because the commercial told us to “call now”?

We wouldn’t like that at all.

And that’s pretty much what Web trackers do. They keep tabs on your Internet activity. They may know your name (if you have opened an account online), or they may not know your name but simply “know” your interests. One more thing: Many of these Web-tracking websites will share information with other websites, in order to build a fuller, or more accurate, profile of you, Mr. or Ms. or Mrs. Consumer. And without going into a great amount of detail, that’s all we need to know.

How you’re tracked.

Bugs embedded in websites report back to the Web manager whenever you’ve viewed a page. Many sites use “cookies” to gather stats on your browsing history, and even your favorite social networks could play a part in keeping tabs on you.

And all this happens without your knowing a thing about it. It happens totally in the background, behind the scenes, and without your knowledge…or approval. Between all your favorite websites, thousands of advertisers, and online tracking companies, there’s bound to be a handful of groups that want to know what you’re doing.

The Web browser Firefox released a new feature called Lightbeam that gives you a glimpse of who it is that’s tracking you when you’re online (if you use the Firefox browser, that is). It lets you follow the tracking activity for your online behavior, and it will give you a clear visual idea of what’s going on with your personal Web activity.

More than that, it will open your eyes to what’s going on every time you go online.

Related Articles

 

Related Articles

All
  • All
  • Easy Prey Podcast
  • General Tech Topics, News & Emerging Trends
  • Home Computing to Boost Online Performance & Security
  • IP Addresses
  • Networking Basics: Learn How Networks Work
  • Online Privacy Topics to Stay Safe in a Risky World
  • Online Safety
  • Uncategorized
S. Gale Bleth talks about awareness and safety.

Awareness and Safety Go Hand-in-Hand: Tips to Protect Yourself

Scams are often (though not always) technology-based, and physical danger happens in the physical world. But both…

[Read More]
Resources for Scam Victims Who Need Help

We Created EasyPrey.com Scam Help Page to Help You

WhatIsMyIPAddress.com and our sister website, EasyPrey.com, focus on providing content and links to information and resources for...

[Read More]
Easy Prey Resources for Victims

EasyPrey.com Resources for Scam Victims

We’ve compiled a list of resources for all victims (and near victims) of scams, fraud, and identity…

[Read More]
Better Business Bureau

The BBB Scam Resources Are There to Help You!

The Better Business Bureau is on YOUR side, helping consumers with real-time scam tracking, which you can...

[Read More]
Amazon Scams

Amazon Scams Come in All Shapes and Sizes. Are You Prepared?

Tell Amazon ASAP if you’re a victim of a delivery scam. Amazon takes fraud and scams quite...

[Read More]
Ron Zayas talks about data privacy and security.

How Companies are Collecting, Tracking, and Selling Your Personal Information

The modern world comes with many technological and digital conveniences. But unfortunately, many of them come with…

[Read More]