MSE tracking you!

whitegoods_engineer

Hi, I just downloaded an anti-tracking add on for Firefox and have found that it is telling me that by going onto Moneysavingexpert, 2 companies are apparently tracking me! (Well they're no longer tracking me, that is, because the add-on has blocked them.)

I understand that the way this works is that websites actively allow other companies to track your usage to make money for the info they pass on, so is it that Martin Lewis's site is complicit in tracking it's users?

I was surprised to find that I am being tracked on this site. When I go onto the BBC website, the application reports no tracking, but it is a different matter here!

So come on Mr. Lewis, are you getting paid for my surfing information by companies who wish to target ads at me?

vuvuzela

Can you post exactly the details of the site/cookies/other tracking details that were blocked ?

Former_MSE_Webmaster

Hi whitegoods_engineer,

We do not allow outside companies to track individuals for targeted advertising – this would go completely against our ethical stance. So the answer to your question is, quite simply, no.

As per our Privacy Policy, we use cookies in our Forum to find out what’s popular and monitor the traffic flow – but only we use this information. We know our Forum could look and operate better and this is one of the ways we find out how people use it, so that in future we can design it better and more clearly provide the information that people are actually looking for.

Webby

Amanita_2

My tracker monitor is picking up google analytics, chartbeat and qubit trackers on this page.

whitegoods_engineer

MSE_Webmaster wrote: »

Hi whitegoods_engineer,

We do not allow outside companies to track individuals for targeted advertising – this would go completely against our ethical stance. So the answer to your question is, quite simply, no.

As per our Privacy Policy, we use cookies in our Forum to find out what’s popular and monitor the traffic flow – but only we use this information. We know our Forum could look and operate better and this is one of the ways we find out how people use it, so that in future we can design it better and more clearly provide the information that people are actually looking for.

Webby

Well judging by the post after yours, and the Googleish nature of the post above, maybe there's more to this than meets the eye!

I mean, to say you use cookies to see how people use the forums? Surely people read posts, respond to posts and create posts? Simple as! You don't really need to monitor your users in such an Orwellian manner?

How do you respond to the post suggesting that private companies are indeed monitoring your users then?

shegirl

Amanita wrote: »

My tracker monitor is picking up google analytics, chartbeat and qubit trackers on this page.

Same here.....

whitegoods_engineer

I raised a question about my anti-tracking add on finding that 2 companies were apparently tracking me on the MSE site and received a reply from MSE that I was not being tracked. However, 2 posters have subsequently added that their anti-tracking software is apparently showing that they are too being tracked!

I think it might be an idea to have a look on that board if you cherish your privacy!

Juzza12

Just added anti-tracking on FF and it found Google analytics and ChartBeat on here

whitegoods_engineer

So are we being tracked? Is MSE making money by selling our activity to marketing firms?

Google is of course the major marketing firm on the internet, selling vast quantities of our information, so is MSE part of this?

We need to know!

SailorSam

If Google track us on here and find out how poor we all our and looking to make savings, maybe they'll send us all some freebies.

Amalea

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

So are we being tracked? Is MSE making money by selling our activity to marketing firms?

Google is of course the major marketing firm on the internet, selling vast quantities of our information, so is MSE part of this?

We need to know!

You'll find most sites actually use google analytics in order to monitor traffic within their own site. This isn't to sell information, it's to check using the reports for things like broken links, page hits (eg useful to see which guides are useful by number of hits and time spent on them). And yes, that info can be used by google, but for rankings in searches - which means more people find the site, which is a good thing! Basically, calm down, it's perfectly normal and no need to don the tin foil hats just yet.