The impact of ad trackers, TikTok misled users, and what is a website portfolio audit?

Welcome back to the 17th edition of Nixon Bytes. This newsletter contains a summary of important data protection news from the past few weeks.

We start this edition of Nixon Bytes with Amazon. We take a look at the impact of ad trackers, which are used by the tech giant. After that, we take a look at TikTok. TikTok misled its users and tracked them. On top of that, we end this Bytes with what a website portfolio audit is and the importance of it.

Nixon Bytes is a monthly newsletter for people who are interested in digital privacy and technology. Do not forget to share this month’s news with your network and to subscribe for more Bytes. Now take your time to discover what's new with us, and how to benefit from that.

Tristan, Giulia, Joost and the rest of the Nixon Digital team.

Here’s a quick overview of this weeks Byte:

·?????? How ad trackers impact the customer journey

·?????? TikTok misled users once again.

·?????? What is a website portfolio audit and why is it useful?

How ad trackers impact the customer journey

More and more tech giants are using ad trackers to collect data from users on websites and apps. This data helps measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and target users with relevant ads. Amazon is one of these companies that uses ad trackers.

The Dutch consumer rights group, SDBN, found that Amazon places trackers without consent. Trackers gather data on website visitors' online activity. This data is used for targeted ads.

SDBN sees this as a privacy breach. Users are not asked for consent before trackers are set. The group wants Amazon to stop using trackers without consent and give users more privacy control.

SDBN’s findings are concerning, as they suggest that Amazon is not respecting the privacy of its users. Companies should be transparent about data collection and obtain user consent before setting trackers.

Our platform assists privacy officers in managing Amazon trackers and other tracking tools on their websites. It also identifies many other trackers. This provides insight into the scripts, cookies, and technologies running on all your websites. This can help you decide if you want to use these trackers. Promoting a more privacy-friendly online environment

Contact us if you are concerned about unauthorized trackers on your website. We are here to help create a more privacy-friendly online environment.

TikTok misled users once again

TikTok has been caught secretly tracking its users when they visit external websites. A clear violation of privacy laws. Experts state that the company's actions have broken legal boundaries. TikTok has fixed privacy issues in its app based on feedback and concerns.

TikTok's data tracking methods involve the use of a pixel. A small piece of code to monitor users' visits to websites outside the TikTok platform. The information collected is then used for targeted advertising purposes. If a user visits the Domino's Pizza website, they may see pizza ads on TikTok. BNR's investigation found that over 1000 Dutch websites willingly shared visitor data. This discovery raises concerns about the privacy of internet users. The problem is that users have not been granted permission for such data tracking. When users asked about their collected data, they were informed that it did not exist.

The technology is allowed as long as the user gives consent. Other major tech companies have been using these methods for years. The difference is that companies like Meta and Google are transparent about the data they collect. TikTok kept that information secret until this week. Users who requested access to the collected data were told that it did not exist. The most important right of users was hereby broken.

European Parliament member Kim van Sparrentak is asking Euro Commissioner Věra Jourová to do something because TikTok does whatever they want. Because of this she want one big European group to control big tech companies in Europe.

What is a website portfolio audit and why is it useful?

Auditing is double-checking records and systems for accuracy and compliance with rules. It means going through information and doing various tests. After that, you give a fair judgment based on what you find.

Manual auditing of hundreds of websites can be a daunting task. It is time-consuming and costly. Some of the websites might even be changed when you complete your website portfolio. These changes make it nearly impossible to keep everything in control.

Many companies still rely on labour-intensive manual processes to audit their websites. You can manually check each page of a website and record the results in a spreadsheet. Managing this process is challenging, especially for big websites or portfolios of websites. Additionally, manual checks can be more prone to errors than automated audits.

Companies can overcome these challenges by using automation, specialized auditing tools, and regular monitoring. It is also important to stay informed about industry changes. Automated auditing solutions can streamline the process and minimize errors. This way, you get immediate feedback on audit results. Companies can improve website audits by using automated tools, which increase accuracy and efficiency. Making your websites user-friendly and enjoyable can increase visitor satisfaction and engagement.

The Nixon Platform helps you overcome manual website auditing challenges. It audits all your websites continuously. Having control over your entire website portfolio is beneficial. It saves you time and effort. This allows you to focus on more important tasks. Additionally, it helps improve your overall professionalism. Want to read more about auditing? Read more!

Nixon Digital

Nixon Digital?specializes in helping companies comply with GDPR guidelines, protect their brands and user experience, and control digital assets. Get insight about cookies and functionalities that are in use. Our platform tracks requests from your website to other domains and their actions. Nixon Digital combines an intuitive, fully automated software platform with the experience and knowledge of specialists.

We provide solutions for companies with over 30 websites. Our services simplify data protection laws and ensure high compliance scores for businesses.

Want to try out a Demo? Visit us at?NixonDigital.io.

Don’t forget to share this week’s newsletter with your network and to subscribe for more Bytes. See you next week!

Tristan, Giulia, Joost and the rest of the Nixon Digital team.