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The impact of third-party trackers on customer privacy

| Privacy | Third party trackers | Consent |

Tristan Terlouw digital marketeer at Nixon Digital - Blog personalisatie - Nixon Digital

Tristan Terlouw

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The Impact of Third-Party Trackers on User Privacy

Consent and Preference

Nixon digital for ServiceManager

Tristan Terlouw

Digital Marketing Strategy Nixon

More and more tech giants are using ad trackers to collect data about visitors on website and apps. This data helps measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and target potential customers with relevant ads. Amazon is one of these companies that uses ad trackers. 

Third party trackers

Third-party tracking involves trackers that are not on the visited website but track the visitors. These trackers are code on multiple websites. They collect browsing data and share it with other companies, usually for ads. If a tracker is on many websites, it can create a detailed customer profile. Third-party trackers are crucial for Internet advertising.  

What are Amazon ad trackers?

Amazon uses ad trackers to monitor activity and interests on websites and apps. Amazon ads trackers collect various data, including: 

  • The products that visitors view and purchase. 
  • The searched keywords. 
  • The websites that are being visited. 
  • The demographics of visitors (such as their age, gender, and location). 

These trackers can be used to

Amazon uses ad trackers to improve its advertising platform and show relevant ads to potential customers. They track the products you view, items in your cart, and your purchases. This data is used to display more relevant ads on Amazon and other websites. 

For companies that sell on Amazon, they can use ad trackers. These trackers help track ad performance and gather customer information. Companies can track ad clicks. They can also track purchases made after clicking an ad and customer demographics. 

Websites use Amazon ad trackers for different purposes. These include showing visitors relevant ads. They also help reach more people with their ads. Additionally, they can sell advertising space on their website to companies. By using Amazon ad trackers, websites can access customer data and display ads that match their interests. Tracking activity helps improve the customer journey by collecting valuable data. 

Different types of Amazon ad trackers

  • Pixels: Pixels, are small bits of code or invisible images placed on web pages. They collect information about visitors and track their activity. 
  • Cookies: Cookies are small files stored on the computer of the visitor. They can track the browsing activity across multiple websites. 
  • SDKs: SDKs, or software development kits, are code libraries that integrate with Amazon Advertising. They collect data on in-app activity. 

How Amazon trackers help marketers understand the customer journey

Amazon trackers help marketers understand vistor behavior on their website. This includes how visitors find the website. It also includes what products they like and how they interact with it. Amazon trackers monitor visitors browsing activities to understand their customer journey. It also includes what products they like and how they interact with them. This info helps marketers improve customer experience and create targeted marketing campaigns. 

Marketers can use Amazon trackers. They can retarget potential customers who visited their website but did not make a purchase. They can show these visitors ads for products they viewed or similar products. Retargeting increases conversions by reminding visitors about the products they are interested in. 

Amazon trackers measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. They track ad clicks, website visits, and purchases. This information helps marketers identify which campaigns are working well and which need improvement. 

A double-edged sword for user experience and privacy

Amazon trackers gather personal data from visitors including browsing history, interests, and demographics. Amazon use collected information to display targeted ads, raising privacy concerns. these trackers have both positive and negative effects for visitors. They can enhance the customer experience by offering personalized ads and product recommendations. However, they can also invade the privacy of visitors by secretly monitoring their online activity. 

How do you know if you have amazon ad trackers on your website?

We suggest using an automatic third-party tracker scanner to detect and list all trackers on your website. This will help you identify Amazon ad trackers and provide information about the collected data. 

To manually find trackers using your web browser functions in Chrome, follow these steps: 

  1. Right-click on the website window (Windows) or use two-finger click or control + click (Apple OS). 
  2. Choose “Inspect” from the menu to open the Chrome developer console. 
  3. In the developer console, select the “Application” tab. If you don’t see it, click on the “>>” option to expand the list. 
  4. On the left sidebar, click on the “Cookies” option under the “Storage” section. 
  5. In the “Cookies” section, you’ll find information about your website’s cookies, including if they are secure and if there are any active third-party cookies. The “Session” tab shows where the cookies are stored and their type (session or persistent). 

Are these cookies fired by with or without consent?

The answer depends on the website. Some websites require consent before using Amazon trackers. Others do not. 

Amazon’s ad trackers collect data from browsing activity. This data is used to create detailed profiles and target personalized ads. Companies tracking visitors and building detailed profiles of their interests and behaviours raise privacy concerns. This worries some people. 

Are amazon ad trackers necessary?

Why use tracking technologies if they invade online privacy? They provide benefits, but at the expense of privacy. Many internet trackers put their customers data at risk, including third-party trackers. Advertising data analysis creates detailed profiles for targeted marketing. This invasion of privacy is concerning. Data protection laws exist to safeguard internet visitors Website trackers are unnecessary if personal data is processed within limits. 

When using Amazon trackers, it is important to prioritize data privacy and security. Businesses must follow data security laws. This applies even if they do not create targeted ads. Visitors have the right to choose whether they are tracked and should be fully informed. Visitors should be able to refuse tracking if it is unnecessary for the service they are using. 

Research reveals alarming number of trackers on websites

NordVPN’s research found that websites can have up to 48 trackers, collecting sensitive data. Social media sites have more trackers. NordVPN found Hong Kong has the most trackers. Singapore and the US are close behind. This shows the need for stronger legal protection and a cultural shift towards digital privacy. Northern and Central European websites have fewer trackers. This shows they respect privacy more. Austrian websites have the fewest trackers, followed by Scandinavian countries. Dutch websites average 13.1 trackers per site.  Northern and Central European websites have fewer trackers. This shows they respect privacy more. Austrian websites have the fewest trackers, followed by Scandinavian countries. Dutch websites average 13.1 trackers per site. Northern and Central European websites have fewer trackers. This shows they respect privacy more. Austrian websites have the fewest trackers, followed by Scandinavian countries. Dutch websites average 13.1 trackers per site.

Amazon caught tracking users without consent

The Dutch consumer rights group SDBN found that Amazon uses trackers without consent. These trackers collect information about visitors’ online activity for targeted ads. SDBN believes this breaches privacy and wants Amazon to stop using trackers without consent. They also want visitors to have more control over their privacy. Amazon’s actions are concerning and transparency is important in data collection. Consent should be obtained before setting trackers on devices.

How do we see it

Companies have a hard time figuring out who the third parties are on their websites. This makes it unclear when they are needed and when consent is required. Customers have high expectations for websites to function smoothly. However, issues arise when these expectations are not met. Not following data protection rules hurts your brand and makes potential customers lose trust. Meeting customer expectations is crucial. It helps retain their loyalty and prevents them from switching to competitors. 

Privacy officers are crucial for data protection and customer privacy. They prioritize privacy, comply with laws, and inform visitors about tracking options. Our platform helps privacy officers in identifying and managing Amazon trackers on your website. It also identifies many other trackers. This provides insight into the scripts, cookies, and functions running on all your websites. Decide if you want to use these trackers. Promoting a more privacy-friendly online environment 

If you are curious about these trackers being used without consent, please contact us. We would love to help make your website more privacy friendly. 

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