Nowadays, keep the privacy online it is very difficult if not almost impossible.
In this context, i social network they are one of the places where confidentiality is constantly trampled upon, with almost total control of the members. However, according to some recent investigations, the situation is even worse than expected.
According to an investigation by Consumer Reports entitled “Who shares your information with Facebook?“, study participants saw their data, on average, “captured” by 2,230 companies. In some borderline cases, however, a user’s information has been cataloged also from over 7,000 companies.
The study analyzed the historical archive of 709 participants research, examining the last three years of online activity. Consumer Reports’ analysis highlighted a type of covert tracking, defined as tracking server-to-server. In this context, personal information passes from the companies’ servers and then returns to Meta’s servers.
This practice is in addition to tracking via Pixel of Meta, with tracking systems that are activated when certain company websites are visited.
According to research, a single user’s data on average ends up in the hands of 2,230 companies
Before drawing hasty conclusions, however, it is also good to make some necessary considerations. The sample examined, in fact, is certain too small in order to draw definitive conclusions. Furthermore, it is exclusively about American citizens, therefore of a snapshot linked to a well-defined territory. The participants then, being volunteerswere probably also more attentive to privacy and therefore influenced in their online behavior.
Despite everything, however, what Consumer Reports proposes demonstrates how the personal information market online is thriving like never before and how this represents a real threat to privacy.
He also expressed himself in this regard Emil Vazquezspokesperson Metawho defended the company’s actions “We offer a variety of transparency tools to help people understand the information companies choose to share with us and manage how it is used“.
Despite what was stated, however, Consumer Reports has identified several management problems, with practices that are not always very clear.
Some curiosities about the research
Il 96% of the subjects examined had to deal with a single company, that is LiveRampand broker give based in San Francisco.
Among the 100 companies most present in the research are shops and supermarkets such as Home Depot, Macy’s e Walmart. However, the financial sector has also appeared several times among the most active companies, with names such as PayPal, Experian e Neustar as well as other famous brands such as Amazon ed Etsy.