In: Computer Science
How can websites keep track of users? Do they always need to use cookies?
The main reasons websites track users are to gain insights about how their customers use their site, to provide a personalized online experience, and to monetize the user by showing them targeted adverts.
Websites use several technologies to track visitors. Here is a rundown of some of the most common ones.
COOKIES:-
Cookies are small pieces of data that websites store on the user’s
device. Sites often use cookies to remember user preferences and
deliver a personalized experience, as well as to gain information
for advertising.
Once a website has dropped a cookie on a user’s computer, the cookie provider can continue to access it. This is how sites can use cookies to track users from page-to-page or from site-to-site.
FINGERPRINTING:-
Fingerprinting is a form of website tracking that uses the
attributes of the user’s device or browser to build a profile of a
user. Information fingerprinters use include the user’s device,
operating system, screen resolution, browser and browser version,
language, and time zone.
On its own, each piece of information isn’t that valuable. However, when it is all put together, it provides an incredibly accurate way to identify users.
WEB BEACONS AND TRACKING PIXELS :-
A web beacon is a small tag placed on a website or in an email to
track how the user interacts with the content. The beacon is
usually a clear 1-pixel by 1-pixel transparent image placed within
the webpage’s code.
When the browser lands on a site with a web beacon, it requests to download the image. The request will contain details that can track the user including the IP address, time, or information about the browser.
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