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Gill reference tracker1/19/2023 ![]() Audio beacons are beacons that are embedded into ultrasound, so they cannot be heard by humans. Īnother integral component of cross-device tracking is the usage of audio beacons. Ultrasound, which is shorter wavelengths greater than or equal to 20 kHz, enables the rapid transmission of data necessary for cross-device tracking to occur. By the age of 30, most humans cannot hear sounds above 18 kHz. Given the variety of sound waves that exist, humans can only hear frequencies that are within a certain range––generally from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Humans interpret sound by picking up on different frequencies. In addition, cross-device tracking may presage the future of the Internet of things (IoT), in which all types of devices––such as offices, cars, and homes––are seamlessly interconnected via the internet. Now, cross-device tracking has evolved into a new, radical form of surveillance technology which enables users to be tracked across multiple devices, including smartphones, TVs, and personal computers through the use of audio beacons, or inaudible sound, emitted by one device and recognized through the microphone of the other device, usually a smartphone. Īnother tactic used by Google is called AdID and works on smartphones in tandem with cookies on a user's computer to track behavior across devices. Browser fingerprinting has been a cause for concern because of its effectiveness and also since it does not allow for users to opt-out of the tracking. One such tactic for cross-device tracking is called browser fingerprinting, and occurs when browsers, which are modifiable to the users' tastes, produce a unique signal that companies or advertisers can use to single out the user. Thus, cross-device tracking initially emerged as a means of generating a profile of users across multiple devices, not simply one. However, advertisers were still limited in that only one device was able to be tracked and associated with a user. Other technologies such as supercookies, which stay on computers long after the user deletes his or her cookies, and web beacons, which are unique images from a URL, are also used by trackers and advertisers to gain increased insight into users' behavior. However, as users began using multiple devices––up to around five––advertisers became confused as to how to track, manage, and consolidate this data across multiple devices as the cookie-based model suggested that each device––whether a phone, computer, or tablet––was a different person. Cookies were also used by companies to improve the user experience, enabling users to pick up where they left off on websites. This unique identifier informs the placement of relevant, targeted ads the user may receive. Įventually, cookies were deployed by advertisers, providing each user with a unique identifier in his or her browser so that the user's preferences can be monitored. Consequently, while the user is logged in, the company can keep a running history of what sites the user has been to and which ads the user interacted with between computers and mobile devices. This is a form of deterministic cross-device tracking, in which the user's devices are associated with their account credentials, such as their email or username. Historically, when companies wanted to track users' online behavior, they simply had users sign in to their website. ![]() There are many ways in which online tracking has manifested itself.
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