Email Coveillance: How Cooperates are Trying to Track You Down
If you are like me who loves shopping (online or offline) while trying to save money at the same time, you probably have signed up for many companies’ email alert. But while receiving all the coupons and deals, have you ever thought of what information you are giving to these companies?
In order to find out whether or not if I am being tracked by emails, I installed the UglyMail and PixelBlock extensions on Google Chrome. And here is what I found.
On the main page of the promotion tab, it seems like only Starbucks is trying to track me. That 1 in over 20 companies I have signed up for email notification. That isn’t too bad, I think to myself. And then, I clicked into one of the other emails.
Wait… 5 tracking attempts blocked? And when I open other emails, same thing happened. 2 tracking attempts blocked, 4 tracking attempts blocked, etc. So, I have always been tracked by all my emails?
So, what does these email tracks? Well, some tracking program like this tracks when the recipients receive and open the email. Other programs also allow companies to see how many recipients click on the links in the email. And many of these softwares uses Google Analytics. While these system are designed for cooperates, but it is available to the public and anyone who is willing to but these program can also get access to these information of their recipients.
And now the problem is, should companies be allowed to do this? What information could they collect? And more importantly, how many users are aware of them being tracked? There are many questions to be ask, and there should be regulations to control the use of marketing tracking software.
