Oct 25, 2021 07:00:00

It turns out that many non-profit organizations that handle private information such as contraception and abortion provided user information to third parties

Many websites use ad trackers and third-party cookies to track user demographics. Media research group

The Markup reports that such a user tracking function is also adopted on the website of a non-profit organization that deals with private matters.

Nonprofit Websites Are Riddled With Ad Trackers – The Markup
https://themarkup.org/blacklight/2021/10/21/nonprofit-websites-are-riddled-with-ad-trackers

The Markup analyzed over 23,000 non-profit websites using Blacklight , a website tracking detection service developed by The Markup. As a result, about 86% of websites use third-party cookies for tracking, about 11% use Facebook trackers, and about 18% use Google Analytics' user attribute analysis function ' user list for remarketing '. It turned out that In addition, it was also found that 439 websites used a 'session recorder' that monitors mouse movements and keyboard input.

From the website of `` Planned Parenthood '' , a non-profit organization that deals with private issues such as sex education, contraception, and abortion, which is accessed by 200 million people annually, 28 ad trackers and 42 third-party cookies were detected, and further session It also turned out that it contained a recorder and a tracker that notified Google and Facebook of the access history.

'We use user information to help improve our digital programs, but always do so respectfully and respectfully,' said Katie Skibinski, vice president of digital products at Planned Parenthood. It is done, ”he acknowledges that he shares user information with third parties. Skibinski also claims that the collected user information is used for 'internal purposes by Planned Parenthood and affiliates' and is not 'sold' to third parties.

There are also 26 ad trackers and 49 third-party cookies on the website of

Save the Children , a humanitarian organization founded more than 100 years ago, and March of Dimes website has 31 ad trackers and 58 third-party cookies, while the California cancer treatment research center City of Hope website has 25 ad trackers and 47 third-party cookies. I was there. Paul Butcher, vice president of global digital strategy at Save the Children, argues that collecting user information is done to improve the user experience. In addition, 'Save the Children has recently hired a new data officer and is in the process of revamping its data retention policy.'

In addition, Tricy Prerebel, vice president of community relations at Gateway Rehab , a non-profit organization that has introduced session recorders to its website, said, 'As a non-profit organization, we have a large advertising budget. We use trackers and session recorders to stay competitive with the commercial organizations we serve.” In addition, “We also know that the user experience of our website has a significant impact on access to treatment. When someone is ready to commit to treatment, we want to make it as easy as possible for them to start treatment before they get frustrated with the process.” It must be done, 'he argues that user monitoring is to improve the website and help treat it.

According to The Markup, some non-profit organizations that track users provide information to companies that accumulate and sell user information such as Oracle, Verizon, LiveRamp, TowerData, and Quantcast. . In addition, Ashkan Soltani, former chief technologist of the Federal Trade Commission, said, ``Non-profit organizations may share user phone numbers and names with LiveRamp, which allows commercial entities to reuse user information. You can target users by doing so, ”he points out that users who use the services of non-profit organizations may be targeted by other commercial organizations.