What is online tracking and how does it work? (2023)

In terms of monitoring, many Internet users - and especially protected data - do not have appetite for laughing. Because monitoring is often characterized as an illegal method of spying, monitoring and collection of sensitive personal data. On the other hand, monitoringFabrics is extremely popular among website owners and traders because, among other things, targeted marketing measures can be taken based on the information collected.

In this article, you will find out exactly what fabric monitoring is, exactly how online tracking works, what data protection on the Internet is for, what exactly you need to take into account as a site manager, and much more!

It should be noted that the following statements do not represent legal advice. Therefore, we can only provide assessments of our intensive experience with EU legal regulations in practice and the technical assessment of the situation.

What does the Monitor website?

What does online tracking really mean?Tracking is a technology in which a user's steps on the internet are tracked and evaluated.OWeb Monitoringoften it's also likeUser Monitoringreferred to as data about user behavior (across all domains) may be collected.

Package service providers also use tracking procedures. However, the package receiver receives a tracking number, through which the position of the relevant package can be viewed at any time.

What data can be tracked?

Internet monitoring is very high.In addition to the user movements on a websiteprivacyhow the IP address is collected; The following can also be tracked:

• WhichSites visiteddone
• Whichsubpagesvisited a website
• How much timeresidency timeOn individual subpages it is
• Vonwhich site refers to the current websitedone
• WhichElements (left, buttons, etc.)done
• WhichProductsseen and bought
• WhichDeviceand whichBrowserhad been used
• Whichfilesthe website visitorTransfers
• Whichmouse and eye movementswere carried out on the website

All this and much more data can be recorded with surveillance technologies.

How does tissue monitoring work?

There are a variety of surveillance methods that provide users' behavior information.We provide the most common monitoring technologies for you below.

🍪 monitoring cookies

Tracking websites that use cookies is certainly one of the most popular processes.

💡 If you are wondering now,What exactly is a cookieYou can read all important information in a compact and understandable way in our separate article.

Briefly summarized, a cookie describes a small data package that stores individual data when accessing a website on the user's computer or smartphone. Cookies can be read automatically on the website.

Web cookies are definedFirst part and third knivesdiscreet.Unlike third party cookies, third party cookies allow users to be tracked on various sites.

ONEExample of such third-party cookiesYou have probably already found him, consciously or unconsciously, while sailing in the World Wide Web.For example, you are searching online for a new coat for the next fall and browsing relevant online stores.Surprisingly, later, when you visit other sites, you will see ads from the same coats.This is not magic, but thanks to the use of tracking cookies.But the Facebook Like button can also track user behavior information directed.

It is also calledtracking pixelThey are valuable helpers as part of web analysis.Site operators can incorporate multiple pixels (small pieces of code) from various services such as Facebook or Google Analytics on your site.When performing a specific visitor action (for example, rolling), the pixel collects the corresponding data and sends them to the service.The action can be determined by the site operator when defining the pixel (the so -called "events").You can find more important information about this topic in our article on the popular web tracking plug-in for WordPressPixelyoursite.

🤚 DIGITAL PRINTING

The purpose of the fingerprinting process is to create an individual fingerprint of the user based on aggregated information about device and browser configuration such as operating system version, browser version, browser settings. Unlike cookies, the software and hardware characteristics of the device used by the user. Some of these characteristics are transferred automatically to the server of the visited website when a website is accessed.

📍 IP address

Internet protocol addresses are also a method used in website tracking.In general, an IP address is a network address consisting of a single sequence of letters and numbers that allows data packets to be sent to the correct recipient.Similar to a postal address in the analog world.IP addresses are used to identify devices using the internet.

The problem here, however, may be for many users to share an internet connection or connect to the internet using VPN encryption. This makes it significantly more difficult to identify the user. However, an IP address can usually be usedIdentification of relevant location data(For example, in which city you live, but not exactly where) are used.

📧 Email tracking

Using email tracking, for example, one can see which recipient opened a given email, when, if, and how often. Left clicks can also be attributed to the respective recipient. As a newsletter sender, you can therefore specifically determine the open rate or record the click-through rate on certain items. Based on these values, optimization measures such as the list of recipients for certain topics can be derived.

📱 Track applications

In addition to tracking on a computer, there is also tracking using apps. As part of app tracking, it is sometimes assessed which apps are used by a user and what the user's behavior is within the app. In addition, many applications record information about users. It is often necessary during application installation that the application can access data such as gallery and location. Some of this sensitive data is transmitted to the application operator's server.

Website tracking goals

The main purpose of web tracking is definitelyWeb AnalysisThis is why many companies use web tracking processes.As you already know, there are several ways to get valuable user data.They can be evaluated after the collection, which meansConcrete, marketing goals specifically for the groupIt can be inferred.

alsocampaigns carried outcan be better evaluated using monitoring data. For example, it can be determined whether clicks on advertisements on the Internet led to purchases in the online store.

But not only marketing measures result from site analysis. In the same way, the recorded data can serveTo find sources of website errorsand be corrected.

Many monitoring methods are alsoAFFORDABLEesave time.Therefore, data is also referred to as the gold of the 21st century.

Web Monitoring - Advantages and Disadvantages

MofoBenefitsWeb tracking reflect the objectives mentioned in the previous section.This means that the user data tracking tocreate user profiles, aspiring targetcampaigns and adsor can be used to optimize the site.

probably the biggestDisadvantageThe problem is in the site screeningdata protection, which we will discuss in the next section.Compliance with legal requirements is therefore extremely important.In addition, it isIt's not easy to use all tracking tools.Very large and tangled volume of dataIt can quickly lead to an overwhelming or false assessment.In addition, there are also theCostThis results in the use of a good tracking tool. Another obstacle can be the user's browser settings that block certain tracking methods.

Is the web tracking cool?

Tissue monitoring and data protection are extremely important. Many Internet users are rightly wondering what legal basis is actually used. First it was in GermanySection 15(3) Telemedia LawHe realizes that user data tracking is generally allowed, as long as there is an opt-out option (opt-out), which means that user tracking is possible until the data subject is opposed to it.

However, this is where the electronic privacy directive comes into action.Defines at the EU level that aUser ConsentBefore using non -basic cookies, monitoring technologies and similar methods that collect and process personal data (participation process). This was confirmed in the December decision (C-673/17) October 2019 and May 2020 of BGH (Me.e of Sa / 16) confirmed for Germany.

If you want to record your users' data, you must carry out web tracking in accordance with the Privacy Directive, GDPR andTtdgThat means: first, get active consent, up -a -date to your guests, and then watch them happily. If you don't follow him, it can be done through him.Very high fines protection violationsI'm coming for you.

Is it possible to disable web tracking?

Even though lawmakers have sued many security measures over theoretical methods of online surveillance, the reality often looks different. To provide additional protection, website visitors can take various measures to avoid monitoring as best they can.

NoMany browser settingsAmong other things, cookie tracking can be set tocookie settingsturn it off. Some browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, already exclude third-party cookies by default. The risk here, however, is that disabling or not accepting cookies can lead to limited functionality of the site.

There are alsobrowser extensionsHow to avoid ad blockers that may prevent websites from being tracked as much as possible.

Another method is theDon't watch the head, through which the user can decide on themselves whether to be tracked or to prevent tracking.Once a site is accessed, the user's device sends a signal that, in principle, informs the site that it does not want is tracked.However, site operators may follow this, but they still don't have to.

Are there alternatives to web tracking (to advertise anyway)?

Cookies, fingerprints or storage of the IP address for marketing purposes - none of this is possible because the website visitor has not given his consent. What can you do without these web tracking methods to keep showing you targeted ads, for example?

Target semantics

With semantic segmentationno personal data is collected.In contrast to tracking using cookies, advertising based on page content is selected in semantic targeting, so false channels can be avoided more easily and the user is caught thematically where he is.

Then the individual user willnot specified, but the content frame it is in is written. In this way, appropriate advertising can be reproduced, which is not adapted to the individual user, but only to his current environment.

The effectiveness of the ad naturally suffers from it.However, it is one of the few ways of not having to show completely random advertising if web tracking is not possible or allowed.

Right -handed with royal banner cookie

All that clock clutter can become a headache very quickly. And compliance - and, in particular, enforcement - of strict legal requirements can make site owners sweat.

So, to save this, you should take a look at the Opptress WordPress solutionroyal cookie banneroutlet.Over 100 standards for popular services such as Google Analytics and Google allow you to easily receive your consent to track your website visitors in a manner that complies with legislation.