Websites Are Tracking Your Every Move

While visiting All Things Digital, the homepage presents the following disclosure:

“A note about tracking cookies
Some of the advertisers and Web analytics firms used on this site may place “tracking cookies” only your computer. We are telling you about them right upfront, and we want you to know how to get rid of these tracking cookies if you like. Read more >”

Is this the new standard? I hope not. Did the lawyers get involved in this? Or our government?

Google just recently announced a Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Tracking is Okay

A lot of websites rely on good quality statistics and, yes, this involves tracking a user through a website. Why is this considered harmful? It’s not. You’re being tracked anonymously. No personal data is ever sent with web analytics software.

How are we, internet marketers, supposed to make the visitors experience better? Website tracking helps website owners present the most meaningful website data first. Tracking helps companies know what their visitors want and don’t want.

I personally think the disclosure is ridiculous. People should worry more about giving their credit card to their waiter than worry about being tracked anonymously.