A Twitter data tracker inhabits tens of thousands of websites

[intrepidity]

"it can collect web browsing data from consumers who have never even used Twitter."

More to be concerned about. Musk wants all of this data for a reason, and I don't think it is purely for advertising purposes.

There's more at the link and it is worthwhile reading for everyone.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/08/twitter-data-tracker-inhabits-tens-thousands-websites/

http://archive.today/ZMT4h

Tens of thousands of websites belonging to government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and other organizations host Twitter computer code that sends visitor information to the social media giant, according to research first reported by The Cybersecurity 202.

And virtually none of them have used a Twitter feature to put restrictions on what the company can do with that data, said digital ad analysis firm Adalytics, which conducted the study.

The presence of Twitter’s code — known as the Twitter advertising pixel — has grown more troublesome since Elon Musk purchased the platform.

That’s because under the terms of Musk’s purchase, large foreign investors were granted special privileges. Anyone who invested $250 million or more is entitled to receive information beyond what lower-level investors can receive.

Among the higher-end investors include a Saudi prince’s holding company and a Qatari fund.

“Government agencies, hospitals, over half of all U.S. members of Congress, media publishers, and brands may not be aware that they are sharing terabytes of their visitors’ and audience’s data with Twitter,” Adalytics founder Krzysztof Franaszek wrote.

The company’s analysis found that at least 70,000 websites are still using Twitter’s advertising pixel on their pages as of late November 2022. The study didn’t examine when the sites began using the pixel.

How it works
Twitter offers snippets of JavaScript code to websites, which can embed the code on their sites to track and target Twitter users with their ads. The pixel collects information like cookie IDs, IP addresses, website data and in some cases, email addresses and phone numbers. Advertising pixels in general can also include information that users are submitting on forms on a website, Davisson said. Notably, it can collect web browsing data from consumers who have never even used Twitter.

[2naSalit]

1. Do we need to...

Create a new internet?

[GoCubsGo]

2. Regularly clearing one's browser cookies would be a big help.

Or, at least selectively removing the Twitter-related ones. It's a good idea purge the cookies every so often, anyway.

[2naSalit]

3. Oh I do that...

Every time I go offline or before going online and once or twice if I'm on for a while.

[orthoclad]

4. Tracking pixels are dependent on scripts,

especially Javascript. Dumping or blocking cookies is a good idea, but that won't stop pixel trackers -- which are not limited to the birdcage. They're very common. For instance, Facebook aka Meta:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/06/facebook-is-receiving-sensitive-medical-information-from-hospital-websites/

The experts are at EFF.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/05/digital-security-and-privacy-tips-those-involved-abortion-access

[intrepidity]

6. Can you give a simple layman's version of how it works?

Eg, I visit a student loan gov website, and provide info as I make an account. Does Twitter's tracking pixel, embedded within the code of that site, transmit back to Twitter any of the personal data I provided to the website? TIA

[orthoclad]

12. Scripts are small bits of code

that websites can place on your computer. They can perform a lot of the tasks for a website which would otherwise be the burden of the website's machine. This takes the load off the website.

But these pieces of code can perform more than just minor services for the website's operation. In the quote you placed below, they hoover up a lot of personal data and send that to a third party. The legality of this is questionable, but everything is legal unless laws are enforced. The Ars Technica article questions the legality of taking medical information under HIPAA, but "it's easier to beg forgivenss than ask permission", so companies which make their fortune as data vampires push the edge, and they have fancy lawyers.

Your specific question? I don't know, I'm an amateur. But judging by reported cases, I would assume that they grab everything they can.

Be safe. I use NoScript, adbloock and other stuff for general browsing. I keep several other browsers handy that I can call up and dismiss for riskier behavior like shopping. The EFF link gives a lot of tips.

[intrepidity]

8. Good links, thanks. Really alarming stuff.

The Meta Pixel is a snippet of code that tracks users as they navigate through a website, logging which pages they visit, which buttons they click, and certain information they enter into forms. It’s one of the most prolific tracking tools on the Internet—present on more than 30 percent of the most popular sites on the web, according to The Markup’s analysis.
....
The Meta Pixel sends information to Facebook via scripts running in a person’s Internet browser, so each data packet comes labeled with an IP address that can be used in combination with other data to identify an individual or household.
....
In addition, if a patient is logged in to Facebook when they visit a hospital’s website where a Meta Pixel is installed, some browsers will attach third-party cookies—another tracking mechanism—that allow Meta to link pixel data to specific Facebook accounts.
....
When The Markup clicked the “Finish Booking” button on a Scripps Memorial Hospital doctor’s page, the pixel sent Facebook not just the name of the doctor and her field of medicine but also the first name, last name, email address, phone number, zip code, and city of residence we entered into the booking form.

[KentuckyWoman]

5. Information is the most profitable commodity right now - my guess.

If Elon really wants to make money off the fact I bought new coat from Kohls over their website, left a review that "Medium" must mean an 7 foot tall woman with a 50" belly and little 7 yr old girl 5" arms - well I could care less.

If that factoid is used feed pricing of coats on other websites differently to me than anyone else, then that's trouble.

[intrepidity]

7. Slippery, slippery slope

With advanced AI standing on our threshold, what once was innocent can become something else entitely.

[KentuckyWoman]

10. I believe that ship has sailed

A smart TV tracks you. Google tracks you. The grocery store tracks you. I would not be surprised if Ford tracks my car's built in GPS and can tell Kohls exactly how long I was parked in their lot. Let alone what they can get from my visit to the website. Google can sell them info on where I was before and after I visited Kohls.

Data companies pull it all together for whatever into a customer wants. They can tell a developer thinking about building in my zip code all sorts of stats about our ages, education, debt ratio, spending habits, favorite foods etc so the developer can market a to the right mix of stores and restaurants. Kroger can decide if they want to renovate or rebuild or change the mix in their store based on sales for the whole area, not just their own store.

The slope is indeed slippery and has been a long time. Privacy laws are way behind. Elon is just doing what they all do. Legally.

[intrepidity]

11. No smart TV here. No Twitter or Facebook accounts. Keep location turned off on my phone.

Use Brave browser with strictist settings. Use a VPN. Never use "Siri" or "Google Asst". Etc.

So, there are things we can do.

[Angleae]

9. Only tens of thousands?

And then there's google trackers, amazon trackers, facebook trackers, etc.

[jeffreyi]

13. I think this has been happening for a long time already.

And I am no techie. But the targeted ads...sometimes I think that somehow, they are listening in on casual conversations.