What You Need to Know
Cross-cookie tracking is a technique used by advertisers and websites to track user behavior across multiple websites and devices by using cookies. Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on a user’s device and can be used to remember user preferences, login information, and other browsing data.
The Regulation of Cross-Cookie Tracking
Cross-cookie tracking involves using cookies from multiple websites to create a user profile that can be used to target advertising to the user across the web. For example, if a user visits a website that sells shoes and then visits a social media platform, the social media platform may use cross-cookie tracking to serve the user shoe advertisements based on their previous browsing history.
Explicit Consent
The use of cross-cookie tracking is regulated under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe. The GDPR requires that websites and advertisers obtain explicit consent from users before collecting and using their personal data, including data collected through cookies.
Cross-cookie tracking is not inherently illegal in Europe, but it can be illegal if it violates the GDPR’s requirements for user consent and data protection. Websites and advertisers must provide clear and transparent information to users about their data collection and use practices and obtain explicit consent from users before collecting and using their data for targeted advertising or other purposes.
In addition, the GDPR gives users the right to access, correct, and delete their personal data, including data collected through cookies. Websites and advertisers must provide users with the ability to exercise these rights and must ensure that their data collection and use practices are in compliance with GDPR requirements.
Risks for User Privacy
While cross-cookie tracking can help advertisers deliver more targeted and relevant ads, it also poses significant risks to user privacy. With cross-cookie tracking, advertisers can gather a wealth of personal data about users, including their browsing history, search queries, and preferences.
This data can then be used to create detailed profiles of individuals and their online behavior, which can be sold or shared with third-party advertisers or data brokers. Users may not be aware that their data is being collected, and they may not have given explicit consent for it to be used in this way.
Ethical Implications of Cross-Cookie Tracking
Cross-cookie tracking raises ethical concerns around privacy, consent, and transparency. Users may not be aware that their data is being collected, or they may not fully understand the extent to which their behavior is being tracked. Additionally, users may not have given explicit consent for their data to be used in this way, or they may not have been given a clear option to opt-out.
The use of cross-cookie tracking can also contribute to the creation of filter bubbles, where users are only exposed to information and opinions that align with their existing beliefs and preferences. This can have negative effects on democracy and public discourse. Advertisers have a responsibility to be transparent about their data collection practices and to give users control over their own data.
Alternatives for Effective Advertising
There are alternatives that can provide effective advertising without posing the same risks to user privacy. For example, contextual advertising targets users based on the content of the web page they are viewing rather than their browsing history. This method can provide relevant ads to users without relying on invasive data collection practices.
Another alternative is to use first-party cookies, which are set by the website itself rather than third-party advertisers. This allows the website to collect data about user behavior on their own site, but does not allow for tracking across multiple websites.
Transparency in data collection
Websites should avoid using cross-cookie tracking because of the potential risks it poses to user privacy. While this technique may be useful for advertisers in serving targeted ads, it involves collecting and using personal data without explicit user consent, which can violate GDPR regulations.
Cross-cookie tracking can lead to a lack of transparency in data collection and use practices, which can erode user trust and negatively impact brand reputation. As such, it is important for websites and advertisers to explore alternative advertising methods that prioritize user privacy and comply with data protection laws.
