Find out what your web browser knows about you, and what it is telling web sites

I did a little experiment.  I went to a retail web site, and surfed the site for a few minutes.  I then went back to my home page, and then on another web site.  Within a few minutes, I started getting banner ads from the store that I was just at of products that were available at my local store.  But how could this be?  The answer is easier than you think.

Your web browser is to blame.  Companies that make web browsers also send information about that web browser to web sites. The information that it sends can be as simple as the name of the browser that you’re using, to the location of where you are.

Don’t believe me?  Read on.

There are two web sites that you can go on to prove my point.  The first is called Click.  This web site shows you the information that your browser is leaking about you and your computer, it also watches what you do.

To further prove my point, go to another web site called Webkay.  This, too, can get information about you from your web browser.

This site is less playful than Click, but it presents the data that it gathers about you in a much clearer manner, going as far as explaining what is being collected, and also offering some advice to help you prevent some of the data leaks from happening in the first place.

If you’re not used to maintaining your privacy while browsing the web, you might be surprised just how much information websites have access to. If you’re already switched on in terms of privacy, bask in the glory of being able to tour around the web without leaving too many footprints.

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Dan Uff

Senior Writer / Owner

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