Website Tracking Data May Live On
At least 400 of the world’s top websites can track your every move. By using “session replay scripts,” these websites can monitor your mouse movements, keystrokes, and page content—and then record and send that data to a publisher for playback and review.
Researchers at Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy found that these session replay scripts keep personally identifiable information and thereby jeopardize the private data of website users. Major sites such as Walgreens, Bonobos and Fidelity rely on session replay scripts.
Takeaway: Not every session replay script provider collects user data, and almost all offer redaction tools to remove private information. Still, users should take caution when visiting these websites because there is always the chance that data may be collected.