In the digital era, our online activities are consistently monitored and processed by various vendors for the purpose of advertising and content personalization. Upon visiting a website or using an app, data such as your IP address, device identifiers, browsing and interaction data, and location can be gathered, processed, and utilized for a variety of objectives.
The advertising visible on websites and apps might be influenced by the limited data collected, including the specific content being interacted with, the device type, or non-precise location. This enables advertisers to tailor their ads to what they perceive to be of interest to the individual.
Additionally, the activity on a specific website or app may be stored and combined with other information from various sources to create or enhance an individual’s profile, which can encompass interests and personal attributes. This is done to present more relevant content or advertising based on potential interests.
Moreover, the data can also be employed to monitor and prevent fraudulent activity, ensure the proper and secure functioning of systems and processes, as well as assess the effectiveness of an advertisement or content for the individual and other users.
Numerous data tracking activities are conducted through the utilization of cookies, device identifiers, and similar online identifiers. These are stored or read on a device to recognize it upon connecting to an app or website, and are used to create advertising profiles reflecting activity, potential interests, and personal attributes.
When addressing the management of online privacy, it is crucial to comprehend the data collection and processing preferences of the vendors affiliated with the websites and apps visited. Each vendor may have varying data collection durations, encompassing the storage duration of data, the type of data collected (such as non-precise location data, IP addresses, probabilistic identifiers, and user profiles), and the resetting of cookie duration per session.
Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge that some vendors utilize alternative forms of storage, exceeding the usage of cookies, to collect and process data, including authentication-derived identifiers, user-provided data, and device characteristics, among others.
To safeguard online privacy, it is imperative to review and understand the privacy choices and settings offered by these vendors. This allows for informed decisions regarding the collection, processing, and utilization of data, as well as the ability to enable or disable specific tracking and data collection methods.
By being cognizant of the data collection and privacy settings of the websites and apps used, one can exert more control over online privacy and ensure that personal data is handled in accordance with individual preferences and values.