{"id":9176,"date":"2024-03-01T08:44:47","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T13:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/?p=9176"},"modified":"2024-07-06T16:13:03","modified_gmt":"2024-07-06T20:13:03","slug":"how-do-websites-get-your-personal-information","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-do-websites-get-your-personal-information\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do Websites Get Your Personal Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#how-do-websites-get-your-personal-information\">How Do Websites Get Your Personal Information?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#cookies\">Cookies<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#ip-address-tracking\">IP address tracking<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#fingerprinting\">Fingerprinting<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#web-beacons\">Web beacons<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-stop-websites-from-tracking-you\">How to Stop Websites From Tracking You\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-do-data-broker-websites-get-your-personal-information\">How Do Data Broker Websites Get Your Personal Information?\u00a0<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#federal-government\">Federal government<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#state-and-local-governments\">State and local governments<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#publicly-available-sources\">Publicly available sources<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#commercial-data-sources\">Commercial data sources<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#each-other\">Each other\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-remove-information-from-data-brokers\">How to Remove Information from Data Brokers\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#reduce-your-digital-footprint\">Reduce Your Digital Footprint\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve come across highly personalized ads or found unexpected tidbits of data about yourself online, you may have wondered: How do websites get your personal information in the first place?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide, we\u2019ll go over the different methods websites use to collect information about you and provide some tips on how you can minimize the spread of your data going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-do-websites-get-your-personal-information\">How Do Websites Get Your Personal Information?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Websites employ several different techniques to gather information about you. The most common methods include cookies, IP address tracking, fingerprinting, and web beacons.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cookies\">Cookies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Anytime you go to a website, you\u2019ll see a pop-up asking you for consent to use cookies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"798\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-36-1024x798.png\" alt=\"Cookie pop up \" class=\"wp-image-9177\" style=\"width:482px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-36-1024x798.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-36-300x234.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-36-768x598.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-36.png 1368w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Cookies are small strings of text sent by a website to your web browser and back with your details.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cookies can monitor your search history, how many times you visit a website, and more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They come in two forms: First-party cookies, which are created by the website you visit, and third-party cookies, which are created by parties that are not the website owner, like advertising companies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main difference between the two is that while first-party cookies can be used to enhance the user experience (for example, by remembering what you\u2019ve already seen), third-party cookies are used primarily to track user activity and display personalized ads based on their activity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ip-address-tracking\">IP address tracking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Websites systemically take note of IP addresses as soon as a user connects to them. That means the website owner can see your IP address, gaining an approximate idea of where you are in the world and learning how long you spend on different parts of their site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fingerprinting\">Fingerprinting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once browsers enabled users to block or limit their cookie intake, a workaround was developed. Fingerprinting enables a website to identify you using a combination of your device and your web browser, along with myriad smaller details that create a unique \u201cfingerprint\u201d each time you visit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Electronic Frontier Foundation\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/coveryourtracks.eff.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cover Your Tracks<\/a>\u201d online tool lets you see how identifiable you are.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-37-1024x689.png\" alt=\"EFF Cover your tracks tool\" class=\"wp-image-9178\" style=\"width:535px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-37-1024x689.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-37-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-37-768x516.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-37-1536x1033.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-37.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"web-beacons\">Web beacons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Web beacons are graphic files hidden on a website and sent to your computer as soon as you visit. Also known as \u201cspy pixels,\u201d they enable website owners to see what pages you\u2019re visiting and for how long, along with where you\u2019re clicking and what you\u2019re interacting with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-stop-websites-from-tracking-you\">How to Stop Websites From Tracking You&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With so many invasive tracking techniques out there, it\u2019s perfectly reasonable to look for a way to disable them. Fortunately, there are a few relatively easy steps you can take to limit how your online activities are tracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enable \u201cDo not track\u201d in your browser (see how to do so in <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/chrome\/answer\/2790761\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chrome<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/support.mozilla.org\/en-US\/kb\/how-do-i-turn-do-not-track-feature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Firefox<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"836\" height=\"272\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-38.png\" alt=\"Website privacy preferences \" class=\"wp-image-9179\" style=\"width:479px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-38.png 836w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-38-300x98.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-38-768x250.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 836px) 100vw, 836px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Block third-party cookies in Chrome.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use an add-on designed to block tracking scripts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use a browser with built-in tracking prevention, such as Firefox, which stops fingerprinting automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Change your browser settings to delete cookies every time you exit a browser.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"886\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-39-1024x886.png\" alt=\"Cookies and data stored browser settings\" class=\"wp-image-9180\" style=\"width:436px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-39-1024x886.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-39-300x260.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-39-768x665.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-39-1536x1330.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-39.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consider a VPN to stop your IP address from being visible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Block images in your email service to prevent web beacons and cookies from getting in.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-do-data-broker-websites-get-your-personal-information\">How Do Data Broker Websites Get Your Personal Information?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/what-are-data-brokers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Data broker websites<\/a> also collect your personal information.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data brokers are companies that collect personal data about individuals and then sell that data to anyone who\u2019ll pay their minimal fee. The data offered could be highly revealing, including your full name, home address, telephone number, family member details, education and work history, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data brokers get their data using a host of different techniques. Let\u2019s look at some of their most popular personal information sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"federal-government\">Federal government<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The federal government is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/12\/21\/data-brokers-privacy-federal-government-00072600\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one of the top customers<\/a> of data brokers &#8211; but it also serves as one of the primary sources for them. Everything from your voter registration information to your age, ethnicity, occupation, and whether you\u2019ve declared bankruptcy can come from the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"806\" height=\"212\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-40.png\" alt=\"Acxiom information sources\" class=\"wp-image-9181\" style=\"width:544px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-40.png 806w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-40-300x79.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-40-768x202.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"state-and-local-governments\">State and local governments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>State and local governments are another major source for data brokers. Data brokers can use them to find data like vehicle registration information, occupational licensing information, and property records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"publicly-available-sources\">Publicly available sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Data brokers are notorious for using publicly available sources to scrape information. That includes media reports, business listings, forum posts, and social media profiles (such as <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-delete-facebook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/how-to-remove-linkedin-from-google-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of social media profiles, some data brokers even let you search for individuals through their online usernames.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-41-1024x520.png\" alt=\"Data broker username search\" class=\"wp-image-9182\" style=\"width:518px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-41-1024x520.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-41-300x152.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-41-768x390.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/media-41.png 1222w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"commercial-data-sources\">Commercial data sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>From credit card purchases to warranty registration, commercial companies collect a lot of information on their users. Some of it, in turn, winds up in the hands of data brokers. In addition, the FTC reports that some data brokers get consumers\u2019 web browsing activities from online advertising networks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"each-other\">Each other&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the biggest source of information for data brokers is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/system\/files\/documents\/reports\/data-brokers-call-transparency-accountability-report-federal-trade-commission-may-2014\/140527databrokerreport.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other data brokers<\/a>. They borrow indiscriminately from one another without stopping to verify information, meaning at least some information in their databases is obsolete or incorrect. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lix.polytechnique.fr\/~goga\/papers\/databrokers-measurement_finalCameraReady.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one report<\/a>, 40% of all information data brokers have on individuals is inaccurate or no longer accurate.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-remove-information-from-data-brokers\">How to Remove Information from Data Brokers&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/blog\/opt-out-guides\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opt out<\/a> of data brokers, which will remove your profile from their databases.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, you\u2019ll need to opt out of every single data broker with a profile on you, and you\u2019ll need to do so continuously, as data brokers will relist your profile when they collect more information about you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an alternative, you can subscribe to a <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data removal service such as DeleteMe<\/a> to handle opting out of data brokers for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"reduce-your-digital-footprint\">Reduce Your Digital Footprint&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It may seem like an uphill battle to maintain your privacy while using the internet, but it\u2019s not totally impossible. Remember that the less you share online &#8211; whether it\u2019s making revealing posts on social media or letting cookies track your habits &#8211; the more private you\u2019ll be.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how websites track you. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":9183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,26,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-privacy","category-privacy-tips","category-staying-private-online"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}