Web tracking is pervasive globally, with Kaspersky’s analysis revealing extensive data collection by major tracking services, primarily led by Google. Regional variations in adoption highlight diverse usage patterns and underscore the need for enhanced user data protection measures.
2 October 2024 – Web tracking, a practice involving the collection and analysis of user data on online behavior, has become integral to businesses aiming to personalize experiences, enhance engagement, and optimize ad targeting. This data encompasses demographics, site visits, page dwell times, clicks, scrolls, and mouse movements, facilitating insights like heatmaps.
Kaspersky, renowned for its cybersecurity solutions, incorporates a Do Not Track (DNT) feature to thwart tracking elements designed for monitoring user activities on websites. This feature enables Kaspersky to assess the scope of data harvesting by web trackers. In a recent analysis, Kaspersky experts scrutinized the 25 most prevalent tracking services, including those from tech giants like Google (Google Display & Video 360, Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and YouTube Analytics), New Relic, and Microsoft (including Bing and other Microsoft platforms). The findings revealed a staggering 38,725,551,855 instances of data collection from July 2023 to June 2024, averaging approximately 1,060,974 data shares per day.
The report offers a detailed regional breakdown of tracking service prevalence, highlighting significant findings such as Google Display & Video 360’s dominance in Asia, where it triggers 25.47% of DNT components in South Asia and 24.45% in East Asia. Conversely, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) shows lower adoption due to local tracking systems’ prevalence, registering at 8.38%.
Google Analytics holds substantial shares in Latin America (14.89%) and the Middle East (14.12%), focusing on optimizing website traffic and performance through user behavior and keyword tracking. Google AdSense leads in the Middle East (6.91%) and South Asia (6.85%), with lower shares in Oceania (3.76%) and the CIS (2.30%). The presence of these systems has expanded across regions, underscoring Google’s pervasive tracking influence.
YouTube Analytics dominates in South Asia (12.71%) and the Middle East (12.30%), with lesser impacts in Europe (5.65%) and North America (4.56%). Microsoft’s tracking tools show varied regional impacts, with significant activity in Latin America (3.38%) and minimal presence in the CIS (0.68%). Bing trackers are notably active in Africa (8.46%) but less so in the CIS (0.77%).
In advanced internet markets like South Korea, Japan, and Russia, local tracking systems often compete with global counterparts within the top 25, illustrating diverse regional preferences and usage patterns.
Anna Larkina, a security and privacy expert at Kaspersky, emphasizes that while numerous companies engage in data collection, the concentration among tech giants heightens risks of breaches. She underscores the responsibility of users to safeguard their data by choosing secure platforms and taking proactive privacy measures.
