User tracking
User tracking (. Of English user- tracking [ juːzə (r) trækɪŋ ]) is an instrument of the web analytics that data on the behavior of users - mostly without their knowledge and consent - gathers. Sources of information are IP addresses , meta information within the HTTP protocols or the browser history of the web browser . The collected data are mostly used to create customer profiles. Due to the wide range of possible uses, companies are very interested in this data, collect information themselves using website plug-ins or buy customer data from specialized companies.
Tracking methods
Early on , there were a number of programs or companies that specialize in web analytics. Such analysis means are mostly used to categorize users.
- Activity Tracking : Software in this category is used to track user activities. Information about mouse movements and the navigation of the user within a website facilitate the development process of an online presence. During the test phase of a system, click paths and scrolling behavior of a user provide valuable information about the success of a user interface and its design.
- IP addresses : These are not directly used to track users, but they store valuable information which, after analysis, reveals the behavior of the owner of this IP. Since IP addresses can be clearly assigned to a client , the storage of user-related data is possible, which enables an online offer of a website and personalized advertising related to this user. By cookies , referrer and logs information is also collected about every visitor. The acquired data pool can also be used for price discrimination .
- Eye tracking : During the interaction of a system, the user's eye movements are recorded in order to analyze the processing sequence of information. Above all, user interfaces can thus be adapted to customer needs. The monitoring of the points fixed by the eyes enables a visitor-related perspective.
- Spyware : Sub-programs that are unknowingly downloaded and installed by the user with another program. Such software collects user-related data while the downloaded program is being used, usually even though its functions are not being actively carried out.
criticism
Data and privacy protectors criticize tracking methods for data collection . The "transparency" of the human being, or the transparent human being , is a sensitive issue in information processing and collection. In 2014, Facebook received a critical review due to spyware discovered in their messenger application for smartphones. Since some users of web browsers have spoken out against user tracking, providers are making anti-track plug-ins available.
literature
- Marit Köhntopp, Kristian Köhntopp: Traces of data on the Internet. In: Computer and Law. 4th edition. 2000, ISSN 0179-1990 , pp. 248-257. (on-line)
- Huaiqing Wang, Matthew KO Lee, Chen Wang: Consumer Privacy Concers about Internet Marketing. In: Communications of the ACM. 3. Edition. Volume 41, 1998, ISSN 0001-0782 . (on-line)
Web links
- User Tracking - The transparent surfer and how it is created. on: gurusheaven.de
- Don't track us. In: The New York Times Magazine. 20th July 2013.
- User tracking: Advertising companies already frequently use "non-erasable" cookie successors. on: heise.de , July 22, 2014.
Individual evidence
- ^ Daniel Oberle, Bettina Berendt, Andreas Hotho, Jorge Gonzalez: Advances in Web Intelligence. Springer-Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 2003, ISBN 3-540-40124-5 , pp. 155-164.
- ↑ Richard Atterer, Monika Wnuk, Albrecht Schmidt: Knowing the user's every move: user activity tracking for website usability evaluation and implicit interaction. ACM, New York 2006, ISBN 1-59593-323-9 , pp. 203-212.
- ^ Matthias Enzmann, Claudia Eckert: Pseudonymous shopping for physical goods. Fraunhofer Institute for Safe Cooperation
- ^ Margit Berner: Search engine marketing: A new form of online dialogue marketing. diplom.de, 2004, ISBN 3-8324-8230-X .
- ↑ Facebook's Messenger App Has More Spyware Than Products Designed Specifically For Surveillance at Yahoo News