How websites track you and what can you do about it?

You can often hear people say that they use online security tools because they are afraid of being tracked by their Internet service provider or state institutions. However, only few of them know that they can be tracked by the websites they visit. In this article we will introduce what data that websites collect, the most common tracking techniques they use. Also, we will provide some pieces of advice on how you could avoid them.

What data can websites collect?

Each website collects data because it allows them to identify their users, understand their needs better, adjust the content of the pages and its layout as well as advertisements accordingly. That is how they try to seek that the users will return to the website.

So, first of all the administrators of websites are interested in determining the user’s location. Depending on the user’s location, more relevant information can be provided to him.

Secondly, they find information about what devices the user uses to access the site. By seeing what priorities users have, website administrators can pay more attention to making the website more user-friendly for mobile devices and tablets as well.

Thirdly, they are keen to know what interests, habits or problems the user has. In this way, the pages can very precisely select the information of interest to the user, offer to purchase specific goods, etc.

3 main methods that websites use:

· IP address

What is it? It is a unique address that immediately identifies a device on the net and makes it possible to trace back to the person who uses it. IP address is the main data that is used to track your location. By the way, this is one of the ways in which crimes committed on the Internet are detected.

· Cookies

These are files that servers use to save user’s browsing information. Later websites use it in order to offer you the information that would interest you (that is related with the things you have recently browsed). Therefore, when you advertise the shoes you’ve been dreaming of – know that it’s because of cookies.

· Mouse tracking

It distinguishes real users from bots. And it allows users to visualize the website in a way that it would achieve its goals as well. For example, would increase the readability of the article, increase the marketability of the particular product or service, etc.

Is there anything you can do about it?

Yes, there is. Actually, there are a number of solutions and here we will briefly describe them. If you want to hide your IP address, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. It will allow you to surf online freely and avoid tracking. In other words, using VPN you will be incognito online and you will get a chance to avoid geo-blocking. It means that nothing will stop you to get on Roobet anonymously or watch the latest TV series that are not available in your region. When using a VPN service, your real IP address will not be known to anyone.

Even though Cookies are convenient (using them you can keep logged to social platforms, etc.) they are a red flag to your security online. So, what should you do in order to avoid your online activities being tracked? The solution is quite simple – just delete your cookies regularly. It can be done just in a few clicks in your browsing settings. Some browsers even offer to use the advantage of having cookies deleted automatically.

In order to avoid mouse tracking it is recommended to mix up your mouse movements. Even though it might seem silly, that is the way you can make the tracking more difficult for them. However, this method takes time and requires patience and persistence.

Wrap up

All in all, websites are interested in tracking you for objective reasons and they use different methods for this. However, you can avoid this if you take the necessary measures. For example, if you use a Virtual Private Network for your daily surfing on the net, regularly delete the cookies in your browser and spare some of your time to mix up your mouse movements, the possibilities of being tracked are minimized.

 

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