How Internet tracking works

Tracking slows down the web

How Internet tracking actually works? It is difficult explaining for anyone who isn’t an expert. However, some of the negative effects of unchecked tracking are easy to notice, namely eerily-specific targeted advertising and a loss of performance on the web.

At the same time many of the harms of unchecked data collection are completely opaque to users and experts alike. We come to know about data collection only occasionally when major data breaches occur.

Websites perform better and work faster when trackers are blocked

Tech website Digital Trends say trackers make up a major portion of the web browsing experience. “From managing personalised adverts, to social network integration, they have an important part to play in how the internet works today.”

Slow Web graphic by Chris DeGraw for Digital Trends.

The situation gives an opportunity for developing anti-tracker tools like Ghostery. This tool isn’t the only one, in that it makes it easy for web users to block any they want. Ghostery helps you browse smarter by giving you control over ads and tracking technologies to speed up page loads, eliminate clutter, and protect your data.

Internet browser software Firefox says it will — by default — protect users by blocking tracking. Firefox is also offering a clear set of controls to give its users more choice over what information they share with sites.

Study: Tracking slows down your web experience

A study conducted by Ghostery confirms that 55.4 per cent of the total time required to load an average website was spent loading third party trackers. For users on slower networks the effect can be even worse. Long page load times are detrimental to every user’s experience on the web.

Web trackers aren’t just spying on you; they’re slowing you down

Hopefully, people haven’t forgotten how UK–based political data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica allegedly sourced Facebook data and used it to influence political campaigns.

Alongside Facebook, Cambridge Analytica allegedly harvested and used personal data to the extent that concerns were raised over whether such data was then used to try and influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the Brexit vote.

Mark Zuckerberg on Internet privacy and tracking. — “What I’ve learned so far is that when you build services that are used by billions of people across countries and cultures, you will see all of the good humanity is capable of, and people will try to abuse those services in every way possible. It is our responsibility to amplify the good and mitigate the bad.” – Mark Zuckerberg.

Now, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg says his ‘personal challenge for 2018’ has been to fix the most important issues facing Facebook – “whether that’s defending against election interference by nation states, protecting our community from abuse and harm, or making sure people have control of their information and are comfortable with how it’s used.” Click here to read Zuckerberg’s full post written on September 8, 2018.