If you still think that privacy and data sharing isn’t an issue, then take a look at this…
The other day I was visiting a popular gaming website and up popped the the usual notice about use of cookies. Normally I would dismiss these without a second thought but I was on a tablet and accidently tapped on the link to their privacy notice. Noodling around, I discovered on this page that they listed all their advertising partners…..and there were SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO of them.
Here’s just those that begin with “A”.
A1 Media Group, A1platform, Aarki, abilicom, Acuityads, Adacado, Adadyn, Adara Media, Adbalancer, Adblade, ADBOX,Adcash, AdClear, Adclouds, AdColony, Addictive Mobility, Addition Plus, Addroid, AdElement, Adello, ADEX, Adform, AdGibbon BV, adhood, Adikteev, AdKernel, AdLedge, adlocal.net, Adloox, Adludio, AdMaster/LnData, AdMaxim,Admedo, Admetrics, Admixer, Adnami ApS, adnanny.com, Adnetic, Adobe Advertising Cloud, AdPlay, AdPredictive, AdRetarget, Adriver, AdRoll Inc., adrule, Adsniper, Adssets, adTarget.me, Adtelligence, Adtelligent Inc., AdTrader, AdTriba, advanced STORE GmbH, Advanse, Adventive, Adventori, Adverline, Advertserve, Advmaker, advolution.control, Adways SAS, Adzerk, Adzymic, AE Media, Aedge Performance S.L. , AerServ, affilinet, Aidata, Airtory, Akamai, AKTYVUS SEKTORIUS, Alkemics, All In Views LTD, Alooma, Amazon, Amino Payments, Inc., Amobee, Analights, Aniview Inc., Answer Media, AntVoice, APNIC, AppGrowth Inc., Appier, AppLift, AppLovin Corp., AppNexus, Appreciate, appTV, Arbigo Inc., Arrivalist, Art of Click, Artsai, Audience2Media, AudienceProject, Audiencevalue, Aunica, Avocet, Azameo
Recognise many? Adobe, Amazon?
And from the website’s privacy policy, “We share your personal information with our affiliates and with exhibitors, sponsors, media partners, joint venture partners and other third parties.” which can be summarised as “We share your personal information with anyone we like.”
Let me get this straight. I visit one gaming website and my information could be shared with up to 622 other organisations that, really, I know nothing about. Who knows where this data will eventually land?
There’s something very wrong here.
Women Look at Security Cameras photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash.