How To: eXelate, Online Tracking, and Your Privacy

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eXelate Media is a company that collects and sells web data on consumers. EXelate has been criticized for linking web-surfing habits with personal data, since this crosses a major privacy line. eXelate gathers consumer data from hundreds of websites and can determine a consumer’s demographic information and web habits using cookies. Though eXelate claims its data can’t be traced to individual consumers, some privacy experts are worried about this.

Web beacons and cookies allow third-party companies to see what parts of a page the user has clicked on, potentially identifying information held in the URL of the page the computer is visiting, such as an email address.

Most advertisers and data collectors have relationships many different websites, which allows them to follow consumers around the Internet. This online surveillance allows them to build profiles of the user’s interests and activities.

The greatest fear of many watching the rapid expansion of online tracking and data collecting is whose hands the information may ultimately fall into, since the industry is almost entirely self-regulated.

How to Opt Out

To opt out of eXelate’s tracking, or to manage the types of ads you receive from their service, go here.

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Jared Howe

Jared Howe is PRIVATE WiFi’s Senior Manager, Product Marketing Communications. Working in high tech for over 15 years, Jared currently lives in Seattle with his wife, daughter, and their two cats.

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