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I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

privacyinternational.org

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Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#91
post #9

It'd be useful if the author revealed how she managed to obtain her data. I am pretty sure that a request with just your real name wouldn't reveal much. I assume that most data is collected under some identifier which isn't matched to your real name in order to thwart this kind of request.

There is a form[1] linked in their privacy policy[2], which doesn't work and tells me I'm not inside the EU or California, which I am. [1]: https://www.quantcast.com/privacy/data-subject-rights/ [2]: https://www.quantcast.com/privacy/

not working from Portugal either

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#92
post #29
post #9

It'd be useful if the author revealed how she managed to obtain her data. I am pretty sure that a request with just your real name wouldn't reveal much. I assume that most data is collected under some identifier which isn't matched to your real name in order to thwart this kind of request.

If they got data from MasterCard and Experian, they must know the her real name.

This is explicitly false. Mastercard or Experian might know her name but this would not be shared for an audience. Its simply cookie123 is in audience456.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#93
post #80

It occurred to me that if you want to see fewer ads and be generally left alone by marketers, get your IP and online data footprint associated with pariah topics like fringe news sites, weird subcultures, edgy politics, drug use, and privacy. Basically like being a hacker in the 1980s and 90s, or even part of early rave culture, where the sort of people who work in marketing would be afraid or uncomfortable with bein…

Do you guys see any ads online? I have ublock origin on my laptop and mobile browsers, modded youtube and instagram with no ads on android. I pretty much never see any ad. I also add the Annoyances lists to uBlock and I have the "I don't care about cookies" extension to ignore cookie popups.

I can second this: Install Firefox on iPhone/Android, add uBlock origin. The web is reasonably fast and privacy friendly.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#94
post #9

It'd be useful if the author revealed how she managed to obtain her data. I am pretty sure that a request with just your real name wouldn't reveal much. I assume that most data is collected under some identifier which isn't matched to your real name in order to thwart this kind of request.

It’s a pain, but we are automating it. You can signup at https://www.privicy.com/privicypal/about

Is this comment and that website [0] sarcasm? What exactly are you automating? The theft of my PII or the opposite? On this matter your privacy policy[1] confuse me.

Sorry if I'm being a daft punk.

[0] https://www.privicy.com [1] https://www.privicy.com/legal/privacy-policy

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#95
post #3

This latest trend is so annoying: there is either "Accept" or: "See purpose". And the "Don't accept" stuff is hidden under "See purpose". Infuriating.

The tracking banners frenzy gdpr started is unbearable. It has decreased the usability of the web significantly. Everyone is obsessed with improving page loading time but what does worth that the page loads instantly if I have to navigate a maze of banner consent screens before I can see the content behind it Why can't everyone at least agree on the same banner format / ui or have it delegated to the browser behind s…

GDPR does not require any banners or consent dialogs at all for cookies that are necessary for authentication, navigation, or keeping track of shopping cart contents in the current session, etc.

It's only the unnecessary tracking that needs explicit consent. So it's a good thing if such sites are slow to load and have to present irritating banners for legal reasons. This will hopefully put them at a competitive disadvantage compared to sites that don't insist on tracking their customers.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually e-mailed to the author a year ago to ask that very question. Her answer was that she provided her cookie ID to Quantcast and then asked for any data associated with that ID. She also promised me to include that information in the article to prevent confusion, but she never did. Ironically, Quantcast only knew her real identity after the request.

How do you get your cookie ID?

DevTools in the browser to inspect cookies?

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#97
post #9

It'd be useful if the author revealed how she managed to obtain her data. I am pretty sure that a request with just your real name wouldn't reveal much. I assume that most data is collected under some identifier which isn't matched to your real name in order to thwart this kind of request.

I actually e-mailed to the author a year ago to ask that very question. Her answer was that she provided her cookie ID to Quantcast and then asked for any data associated with that ID. She also promised me to include that information in the article to prevent confusion, but she never did. Ironically, Quantcast only knew her real identity after the request.

This is why I cringe when I read articles like this.

To Quantcast she was just a cookie with some events that ultimately indicated she might like x and has shown interest in buying y.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#98
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I am pretty sure that a request with just your real name wouldn't reveal much. It's enough to email from the address thats associated with the account. Generally speaking.

One more reason to make sure your email account is not compromised in any way. I have many emails associated with my 'profile'. If one of those is compromised somebody could potentially request all of my data. Requests for information should only be fulfilled with a notarized identification verification. The potential for security breaches here is massive.

Yes, this. Collecting my data would bother me somewhat less if it weren't also so freely distributed.

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#99
post #11
post #9

It'd be useful if the author revealed how she managed to obtain her data. I am pretty sure that a request with just your real name wouldn't reveal much. I assume that most data is collected under some identifier which isn't matched to your real name in order to thwart this kind of request.

I'd also like to know this. It seems like asking this organisation to delete my data would be largely beneficial, but what data do I need to provide for them to do it?

It's really not.

What do you think they'll do with a cookie id associated to a few events?

Re: I asked an online tracking company for all of my data (2018)

#100
post #47
post #9

It'd be useful if the author revealed how she managed to obtain her data. I am pretty sure that a request with just your real name wouldn't reveal much. I assume that most data is collected under some identifier which isn't matched to your real name in order to thwart this kind of request.

The data quantcast collects and stores is associated with cookies in the browser. Generally, you would have to visit their site to allow their code to query the data associated with their domain from your browser.

What to me _seems_ to be much more likely though is that multiple cookies are connected to a classification ID that multiple other users may also be connected to and that to identify your PII within their system you'll need to provide your user name.
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