We are aware about the fact that most websites are tracking our location and saving our data and may be selling them that to third party. But the Question is that two top Brands
For the study, Libert used webXray, his own open source software creation and has been used to analyze trackers on health and porn websites. He found that most websites were not only leaking user data, but also sharing it on the internet.
About his latest findings, Libert wrote, "Sites that leak user data contact an average of nine external domains, indicating that users may be tracked by multiple entities in tandem."
Libert told Motherboard website that if when one visits any of the top one million websites there is a 90% chance that largely hidden parties will get information about his/her browsing. "Most troubling is that if you use your browser setting to say 'Do Not Track' me, the explicitly stated policy of nearly all the companies is to flat-out ignore you," he further told the website.
Interestingly, Libert called search giant Google as the 'worst perpetrator' for tracking 80% of the websites globally and not respecting the DNT (Do Not Track) signals.
On being contacted by Motherboard on the issue, Google's representative pointed to their 'terms of service', which the report says state "it is against company policy for Google Analytics to send personally identifiable information to third-parties. Google also offers extended privacy controls, data sharing settings and an opt-out browser extension for Chrome."
Google Facebook are also doing that???
Let focus on research done by top Researcher Tim Libert, a privacy researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, reveals how serious this problem actually is.
According to Libert's research, 9 out of 10 websites leak users' data to a third party, usually without the knowledge and the consent of the user.
In Research it has been shown that Google is the "worst perpetrator" for tracking 80% of the websites globally and don't respect DNT(Do Not Track) signals.
For the study, Libert used webXray, his own open source software creation and has been used to analyze trackers on health and porn websites. He found that most websites were not only leaking user data, but also sharing it on the internet.
About his latest findings, Libert wrote, "Sites that leak user data contact an average of nine external domains, indicating that users may be tracked by multiple entities in tandem."
Libert told Motherboard website that if when one visits any of the top one million websites there is a 90% chance that largely hidden parties will get information about his/her browsing. "Most troubling is that if you use your browser setting to say 'Do Not Track' me, the explicitly stated policy of nearly all the companies is to flat-out ignore you," he further told the website.
Interestingly, Libert called search giant Google as the 'worst perpetrator' for tracking 80% of the websites globally and not respecting the DNT (Do Not Track) signals.
On being contacted by Motherboard on the issue, Google's representative pointed to their 'terms of service', which the report says state "it is against company policy for Google Analytics to send personally identifiable information to third-parties. Google also offers extended privacy controls, data sharing settings and an opt-out browser extension for Chrome."
Libert says, this however is misleading. As he told motherboard, "The company acts as though users have a choice to follow special instructions to opt-out of Analytics, but this is absurdly disingenuous as all Google needs to do is check a simple, and universally available, browser setting," he said. "It is even more comical when you consider most people never get any notification Google is tracking them. Of course this goes for Facebook and pretty much all other Internet companies as well."
Facebook appears more forthcoming in its policy which clearly warns its users -- in its Terms of Services -- that they can and will be tracked on and off the website.
However, microblogging website Twitter seems to have a different approach here. According to Libert, "...the positive takeaway is that Twitter is taking a real lead in the industry by respecting DNT and deserves some serious credit,"
Facebook appears more forthcoming in its policy which clearly warns its users -- in its Terms of Services -- that they can and will be tracked on and off the website.
However, microblogging website Twitter seems to have a different approach here. According to Libert, "...the positive takeaway is that Twitter is taking a real lead in the industry by respecting DNT and deserves some serious credit,"
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