Many consumers of porn use “private” or “incognito” modes when searching for and viewing content. What users don’t know is that porn sites collect and sell their data, regardless of browsing mode.
In 2019, Microsoft conducted a significant study in which researchers analyzed the top-visited porn sites (over 22,000). What did it find? An astounding 93% of those porn sites were leaking user data to third parties. Who are the third parties tracking porn sites? Google tracks 74% of porn sites, Oracle tracks 24%, and Facebook tracks 10%. Additionally, porn-specific advertisers also do tracking, including companies from Spain, the Netherlands, and Russia.
The study also found that only 17% of the porn sites are encrypted, meaning hackers can steal login and password details, giving them access to user profiles and all the information stored in them.
How, What, and Why User Data Is Tracked on Porn Websites
Cookies (bits of text downloaded by the browser) are used to track user data on porn websites. Another way to track is through embedded pixels on a screen. These two methods of collecting, using, and sharing user data are fairly standard.
Before clicking on a porn site, consumers should be made aware that their data is being tracked. Being aware allows consumers to make a more informed and intentional decision about their privacy. Sadly, this is rarely the case with porn sites.
Privacy policies generally listed on websites are for educating users on how their data will be used and/or protected. The problem with porn’s privacy policies is that only 17% of porn websites even have one. And websites that have privacy policies only disclose 11% of third-party data collectors to the user.
Types of User Data Tracked on Porn Websites
Users need to know that some of the data analytics platforms and advertisers track on porn sites include:
The device used for browsing
A phone’s advertising identification number
I.P. addresses
URLs visited
3 Reasons Why User Data Is Tracked on Porn Websites
There are three main reasons porn websites collect and sell their users’ data:
Identifying and classifying repeat visitors.
Keeping a user logged into a site without having to sign in for every visit.
Recording user preferences with the intent of building a marketing profile for targeted advertising.
Why Tracking Data Can Be Damaging
In the study mentioned above, researchers found that 44.97% of the websites in the sample had URLs that likely reveal personal information, including “specific gender/sexual preference, identity or interest related to the sites’ content.”
Having such personal information fall into the wrong hands can be damaging, especially for individuals who have sexual interests labeled non-normative, since the information can be used to discriminate against or exploit them.
There is another reason why tracking a porn consumer’s data can be damaging. Circling back to the fact that only 17% of porn sites are encrypted, these unprotected sites open their visitors to the risks of experiencing internet hacks and phishing scams.
The Porn Industry Doesn’t Care About Privacy
Whether you want to believe it or not, your digital fingerprints are everywhere, and porn sites have no interest in protecting them from being seen. The porn industry seems to have little regard for obtaining consent from their users before gathering and selling personal data.
Just one more reason to consider before consuming.
