Online Behavioral Tracking

Who knows what you're doing when you browse the web?

New web technology has created many unexpected ways for corporations to track your web activity without your knowledge. Countless advertising networks are able to secretly monitor you across multiple websites and build detailed profiles of your behavior and interests.

New threats include "super-cookies " like Adobe's "Local Shared Objects" and Microsoft's "User Data Persistence." They include semi-legal data-sharing agreements between Internet service providers and data warehouses like Phorm and NebuAd. And they include social networking websites that allow advertisers too much access to their users' behavior and data.

EFF is working with lawmakers to close legal loopholes that enable unscrupulous tracking with corporations to teach them how to manage data responsibly and with the media to educate the public about corporate behavior and user rights.

👁 Image
Protect digital privacy and free expression. EFF's public interest legal work, activism, and software development preserve fundamental rights.

Protect digital privacy and free expression. EFF's public interest legal work, activism, and software development preserve fundamental rights. DONATE TO EFF

EFF Related Content: Online Behavioral Tracking

- Español
The online advertising industry has built a massive surveillance machine, and the government can co-opt it to spy on us.
- Read more about The Government Uses Targeted Advertising to Track Your Location. Here's What We Need to Do.
- Español
EFF has long warned about the dangers of the “real-time bidding” (RTB) system powering nearly every ad you see online. A proposed class-action settlement with Google over their RTB system is a step in the right direction towards giving people more control over their data. Truly curbing the harms of...
- Read more about Google Settlement May Bring New Privacy Controls for Real-Time Bidding
- Español
In an era of pervasive online surveillance, organizations have an important role to play in protecting their communities’ privacy. Schools, libraries, and other organizations can make private browsing the norm by deploying Privacy Badger on their computers.
- Read more about From Libraries to Schools: Why Organizations Should Install Privacy Badger
- Español
The best way to stop this cycle of invasive tracking techniques and patchwork fixes is to ban online behavioral advertising. This would end the practice of targeting ads based on your online activity, removing the primary incentive for companies to track and share your personal data. We need strong federal...
- Read more about Protect Yourself From Meta’s Latest Attack on Privacy
- Español
Every time you browse the web, you're being tracked. That’s why EFF created Privacy Badger, a free, open source browser extension used by millions to fight corporate surveillance and take back control of their data.
- Read more about Online Tracking is Out of Control—Privacy Badger Can Help You Fight Back

URL: https://www.eff.org/issues/online-behavioral-tracking