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Top 100 websites: How they track your every move online

How the top 100 websites are tracking you

It’s no secret: Every move you make on the Web is being tracked, recorded, compiled, and used to sell advertising or otherwise finance the sites that we all know and love. But such activity has come under increasing scrutiny from privacy advocates, and even the U.S. government. Which got me thinking: What are these companies that are doing the tracking? And which websites are they using to gather this information? Using two of the most popular anti-tracking extensions, Ghostery and Do Not Track Plus, I visited each of the top 100 most-visited websites in the U.S., according to Alexa, to dig a bit deeper into this whole tracking debacle.

In total, about 125 different companies or company products are used to track your online activity through the top 100 sites. Many of these are simple advertising networks — but others are particularly nefarious. To get a better sense of what each of these companies are, I reached out to attorney Sarah Downey, a privacy strategist for Abine, which created Do Not Track Plus. Based on her extensive research, here are some of the companies you should be most concerned about.

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DoubleClick: One of the most prevalent trackers on the Web, DoubleClick was purchased by Google in 2008. The company specializes in ad delivery, analytics, and building user profiles. The problem with DoubleClick is its near-ubiquity, though there are some positive aspects. “Google says that they won’t collect user data that could be used to make guesses about sensitive categories, like political affiliations or medical conditions,” says Downey.

To opt-out of DoubleClick, click here.

Disqus: This has become one of the most popular third-party comment plugins on the Web. That’s because it provides some robust tools for website owners to help keep conversations civil, as all comments posted through Disqus by a single user are linked, dissuading trolliness. However, the service does carry its share of privacy concerns.

“People understand that the Disqus widget is a commenting system, but it’s also a tracking system. It follows a user’s activities across sites that use Disqus, even if the user is logged out,” says Downey. The info collected by Disqus includes IP address, browser version and installed plugins, and exit links — data Disqus refers to as “Non-Personally Identifiable Information.” However, this information can be used to de-anonymize users, when combined with third-party information. And because Disqus reserves the right to share you data with third-parties, such action could be taken. Furthermore, says Downey, “Disqus has come under fire for privacy issues after it published its users’ full commenting histories on user profile pages that were visible to the public.”

Disqus is opt-in only — if you use it, you are opting in.

Facebook Connect: Facebook Connect is a tool that allows third-party websites to let users log in using their Facebook credentials. The primary benefit is that it’s easy — you don’t have to create an entirely separate login to comment on the site. Problem is, logging in with Facebook Connect allows for far more sharing between the site and Facebook, explains Downey. This includes your “basic info” — age, gender, current location, hometown, email address, interests, and all pages you’ve “liked.”

But that’s just the beginning — relationships, the male/female make-up and size of your friends list, your education history, your friends’ education history, your work history, comment and wall post frequency, and how you interact with your friends can also be tracked and shared.

Facebook Connect is pseudo-opt-in-only, meaning that it can still gather information on you if one of your Facebook friends uses it, even if you do not.

Facebook Social Plugins: The “Like” buttons and other sharing buttons from Facebook allow the social network to track your Web browsing history without installing a cookie on your machine, says Downey. This gives Facebook the ability to “build a record of every time you load a page with embedded Facebook content,” according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Opting-out is the same as Facebook Connect.

facebook-dislike-button-blue

Omniture: Owned by Adobe and AKA Adobe Digital Marketing, Omniture is “one of the biggest players in the online ad industry,” says Downey. Omniture has been criticized for trying to hide its data collection processes. “They send data to a domain name that’s designed to look like a safe IP address: 192.168.112.2O7.net. Actually, the 0 in 207 is a letter O, as in Omniture,” explains Downey. “Critics said that Omniture and Adobe were intentionally trying to thwart firewall rules and inquisitive users.” Like DoubleClick and Facebook Connect, Omniture’s most troublesome aspect is its prevalence on the Web.

To opt-out of Omniture, click here and read the instructions.

KISSMetrics: An analytics and user profiling company, KISSMetrics allows customers to “go back and look at each person’s interaction history no matter where it happens, Web, mobile, social, desktop, and even offline,” according to the company’s website. As if that weren’t bad enough, the company came under fire earlier this year for using non-deleteable ETags to track users’ Web activity. The tracking tool was used on some major sites, including Spotify and Hulu, both of which have since stopped using KISSMetrics. In response, KISSMetrics itself overhauled its privacy policy, and stopped using ETags.

To opt-out of KISSMetrics, click here. (But be warned, the company does this by putting another cookie on your browser, and if you clear cookies, you automatically opt-in again.)

RapLeaf: RapLeaf is a “big data miner making extremely detailed consumer profiles,” says Downey. The company has also been in trouble in the past for selling information about Web users’ reading habits and other personal data to the Main GOP for election targeting, Downey explains, and for selling Facebook IDs to advertisers.

To opt-out of RapLeaf tracking, click here.

TargusInfo: Like RapLeaf, TargusInfo is a profiling and data enhancement company. It offers a service called CustomerComplete, which verifies people’s names, address, and phone numbers, and links those with secondary phone numbers, additional addresses, and email addresses. “It also scores customers on how valuable they are” to other companies, says Downey.

To opt out of TargusInfo data collection, click here.

Tynt Insight: Simlar to the previous two, Tynt Insight scans real-time user behaviors, including the tracking of copy and paste, which means “they actually see what parts of a page you are copying and pasting,” says Downey.

To opt-out of Tynt Insight, click here.

Baynote Observer: An ad delivery and user profiling company, Baynote Observer builds users profiles by tracking what you search for, which articles you read, what you share on social networks, geolocation, online purchases, links clicked, and videos watch. Baynote also supplements its profiles with third-party data and “like-minded user evaluations,” says Downey. The company specializes in on-site user tracking and ad targeting.

Baynote Observer does not offer way to opt-out.

AddThis: “Known for share and follow buttons, which are actually tracking users, AddThis tracks clicks, shares, viral lift, copied text and more,” explains Downey. The company even admits that “what you share and how you share it with” can say a lot about you — which is exactly the kind of insight AddThis sells its customers.

To opt-out of AddThis, click here.

This is just a sampling of some of the most troublesome trackers out there — and you may find others on the list below that are just as bad or worse. But this gives you an idea of what these types of companies are collecting about you.

To construct the list below, I visited the homepage of each website. It is possible that you will get different results if you are either logged in or logged out of a particular website, or if you visit different pages on that site. In other words, this is a very basic list, but it does provide a great deal of insight into who the companies are that float just beneath the surface of the Web to watch your every move.

1. Google

  • Google
51. Yelp

  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Adsense
  • Google Analytics
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon

2. Facebook

  • Facebook
  • Microsoft Atlas
52. NBCOlympics.com

  • Bizo
  • DoubleClick
  • Ensighten
  • Facebook Connect
  • Google +1
  • Krux Digital
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • Quantcast
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Twitter Badge

3. YouTube

  • Dedicated Networks
  • Doubleclick

53. Content Moved (SecureServer.net)

(none)

4. Yahoo!

  • Yahoo! Ad Network
  • Comscore beacon
54. GoDaddy

  • Google Analytics

5. Amazon

  • Google Analytics
  • Comscore beacon
  • ShareThis
55. xVideos (NSFW)

  • AddThis
  • Google Analytics

6. eBay

  • Dedicated Networks
  • DoubleClick
  • eBay Stats
56. Outbrain (website marketing)

  • ChartBeat
  • Google Analytics
  • New Relic

7. Craigslist

(none)

57. Instagram

  • Google Analytics

8. Wikipedia

(none)

58. Etsy

  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Analytics
 9. Twitter

  • Google Analytics
  • Twitter
59. NBC News

  • Brilig
  • Cedexis Radar
  • ChartBeat
  • DoubleClick
  • DoubleClick Floodlight
  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Analytics
  • JumpTime
  • Krux Digital
  • Microsoft Atlas
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • Omniture
  • PubMatic
  • Pulse360
  • Pulse360 Notice
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
10. Windows Live

  • Live.com
  • Microsoft Advertising Network
  • Microsoft Atlas Technology 
  • Microsoft Atlas
60. Adobe

  • DoubleClick Floodlight
  • ForeSee
  • Omniture
11. LinkedIn

  • Nielsen
  • Quantcast
  • Google Website Operator
  • Google Analytics
  • Netratings Site Census
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
61. Target

  • DoubleClick
  • DoubleClick Floodlight
  • DoubleVerify
  • ForeSee
  • Google Adsense
  • MediaMind
  • Microsoft Atlas
  • Omniture
  • RichRelevance
12. Blogspot

  • Google Analytics
62. Pandora

  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Analytics
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
13. Bing

  • Facebook Connect
  • Microsoft Advertising
  • Bing
63. Conduit

  • Google Analytics
14. Go

  • Audience Science
  • Dedicated Networks
  • Microsoft (Atlas Technology)
  • comScore VoiceFive
  • Google Adsense
  • Omniture
  • Revenue Science
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Doubleclick
  • Microsoft Atlas
64. CNet

  • Audience Science
  • BlueKai
  • CBS Interactive
  • ClickTale
  • Crowd Science
  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Connect
  • Facebook Social Plugins
  • Gigya Beacon
  • Gigya Socialize
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
  • New Relic
  • Twitter Button
  • Visual Revenue
15. MSN

  • Facebook Connect 
  • Twitter Badge
  • Microsoft Advertising
  • Microsoft (Atlast Technology)
  • AudienceScience
  • Microsoft Atlast
  • Comcast beacon
  • Revenue Science
65. Blogger

  • Google Analytics
  • Google Friend Connect
  • Google +1
  • Facebook Connect
  • Twitter Badge
16. AOL

  • 5Min Media
  • Advertising.com
  • LeadBack
  • Omniture
66. Indeed.com

  • Google Analytics
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
17. Pinterest

  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Analytics
67. Hulu

  • Bluelithium
  • Facebook Connect
  • Facebook Social Plugins
  • Google AdWords Conversion
  • Google Analytics
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
18. Tumblr

  • Google Analytics
  • Quantcast
68. Publishers Clearing House (pch.com)

  • Gigya Socialize
  • Google Analytics
19. The Huffington Post

  • Facebook Connect
  • Google+ 1
  • Twitter Badge
  • Google Analytics
  • Advertising.com
  • Omniture
  • Quantcast
  • Quigo AdSonar
  • ComScore VoiceFive
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
69. Reddit

  • Google Analytics
20. Netflix

  • Microsoft (Atlast Technology)
70. Groupon

  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Analytics
  • New Relic
21. CNN.com

  • Audience Science
  • ChartBeat
  • DoubleClick
  • DoubleClick DART
  • Dynamic Logic
  • Facebook Connect
  • Facebook Social Plugins
  • InsightExpress
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • Omniture
  • Quigo AdSonar
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
71. UPS

  • WebTrends
 22. PayPal

  • Baynote Observer
  • Omniture
72. AT&T

  • Acerno
  • Baynote Observer
  • ForeSee
  • Google Analytics
  • Meteor Solutions
  • WebTrends
23. Ask.com

  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Social Plugins
  • Google Analytics
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
73. FOX Sports

  • ChartBeat
  • DoubleClick
  • Microsoft Atlas
  • MSN Ads
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Tealium
  • Unica
24. ESPN

  • ChartBeat
  • DoubleClick
  • Dynamic Logic
  • Dedicated Networks
  • Nielsen
  • ForeSee
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • Omniture
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
74. The Pirate Bay

  • Revenue Hits
  • Right Media
  • Zedo
25. Bank of America

  • Coremetrics
  • Omniture
  • Omniture TouchClarity
75. Pof.com

  • Google AdWords Conversion
  • Google Analytics
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
26. AVG

  • DSMM Advantage
  • Google AdWords Conversion
  • Google Analytics
  • Omniture
76. AWeber Systems

  • AliveChat
  • AWeber
  • Google Analytics
  • Visual Website Optimizer
27. WordPress.com 

  • Google Analytics
  • Quantcast 
  • Quantcast
  • Kiss Metrics
  • Optimizely
  • Comscore beacon
  • WordPress stats
77. Answers.com

  • 5min Media
  • Facebook Connect
  • Facebook Social Graph
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
  • Quantcast
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
28. Babylon.com

  • Advertising.com
  • Tribal Fusion
  • Dedicated Networks (AppNexus)
  • Criteo
  • Google AdWords
  • Google Analytics
  • Tribal Fusion
  • AdNexus
  • LeadBack
78. BBC

  • Audience Science
  • DoubleClick
  • Effective Measure
  • Google Adsense
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • Omniture
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
29. The Weather Channel (Weather.com)

  • Audience Science
  • Brightcove
  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Connect
  • ForeSee
  • Google +1
  • Google Adsense
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • Nielsen
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Twitter Button
  • Visual Revenue
79. Searchnu.com

  • eBay Stats
  • Google Analytics
  • ValueClick Mediaplex
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
30. Chase Bank (Chase.com)

  • [x+1]
  • BlueKai
  • Dedicated Networks
  • DoubleClick
80. Search-results.com

  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
31. Comcast

  • 24/7 Media
  • ForeSee
  • Quantcast
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Visual Revenue
81. RedTube (NSFW)

  • BrandReach
  • DoublePimp
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
  • JuggCash
  • SexAdNetwork
  • TrafficJunky
32. Apple

  • Omniture
82. U.S. Postal Service

  • WebTrends
33. Zedo (ad network)

  • Facebook Connect
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
  • Twitter Button
83. XNXX (NSFW)

  • AddThis
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
34. Walmart

  • 24/7 Media
  • Channel Intelligence
  • Omniture
  • Real Media
  • RichRelevance
84. Best Buy

  • Advertising.com
  • BlueKai
  • Invite Media
  • Microsoft Atlas
  • Monetate

35. About.com

(none)

85. Dictionary.com

  • ClickTale
  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Analytics
  • Legolas Media
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • Po.st
  • Quantcast
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon

36. Wells Fargo

(none)

86. YouPorn (NSFW)

  • DoublePimp
  • FriendFinder Network
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
  • JuggCash
  • Medley
  • TrafficJunky
  • Twitter Button
37. xHamster (NSFW)

  • Adult Webmaster Empire
87. Match.com

  • Adconion
  • Google AdWords Conversion
  • Google Analytics
  • interclick
  • LeadBack
  • Microsoft Atlas
  • XGraph
38. IMDB

  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Social Plugins
  • ForeSee
  • Google Analytics
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Twitter Badge
88. Salesforce.com

  • AdRoll
  • AppNexus
  • Demandbase
  • Eloqua
  • Google AdWords Conversion
  • Omniture
  • Oracle Live Help
  • Quantcast
39. NYTimes.com

  • AdSafe
  • Brightcove
  • ChartBeat
  • DoubleClick
  • Dynamic Logic
  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Adsense
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • New York Times
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • WebTrends
89. Road Runner (rr.com)

  • Advertising.com
  • DoubleClick
  • ForeSee
  • Gigya Socialize
  • Omniture
  • Quigo AdSonar
40. Microsoft

  • Microsoft Atlas
  • MSN Ads
  • WebTrends
90. Washington Post

  • Criteo
  • DoubleClick
  • Omniture
  • Quigo AdSonar
  • ValueClick Mediaplex
41. t.co

(none)

91. Major League Baseball

  • Disqus
  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Connect
  • Omniture

42. LiveJasmin (NSFW)

(none)

92. Drudge Report

  • ADTECH
  • Brilig
  • eProof
  • Intermarkets
  • Lotame
  • Quantcast
  • Rubicon
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
43. FoxNews.com

  • AMP Platform
  • ChartBeat
  • Demdex
  • DoubleClick
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • Quantcast
  • Quigo AdSonar
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Visual Revenue
93. Capitol One

  • [x+1]
  • DoubleClick Floodlight
  • Microsoft Atlas
44. PornHub (NSFW)

  • DoublePimp
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
  • JuggCash
  • TrafficJunky
  • Twitter Button
94. Verizon Wireless

  • BlueKai
  • DoubleClick Floodlight
  • Gomez
  • Microsoft Atlas
  • Monetate
  • Omniture
  • Turn
45. 302 Found (MyWebSearch.com)

  • Google Analytics
95. USA Today

  • Audience Science
  • Brightcove
  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Connect
  • Google Adsense
  • Omniture
  • Quigo AdSonar
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
46. GoogleUserContent.com

(not directly accessible)

96. Photobucket

  • AdMeld
  • Facebook Connect
  • ForeSee
  • Google Analytics
  • Lotame
  • Microsoft Atlas
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • PubMatic
  • RapLeaf
  • Rubicon
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • SpecificClick
47. Flickr

  • AdInterax
  • DoubleClick
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
97. The Daily Mail

  • AdMeld
  • Audience Science
  • BlueKai
  • DoubleClick
  • Google Analytics
  • Lotame
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
48. eHow

  • Audience Science
  • Chango
  • DemandMedia
  • Demdex
  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Connect
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
  • Optimizely
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • TargusInfo
  • Twitter Button
  • Tynt Insight
98. deviantART

  • Google Adsense
  • Google Analytics
  • Quantcast
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon

 49. optmd.com

(none)

99. Zillow

  • BlueKai
  • Google +1
  • Google Analytics
  • Right Media
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
50. Imgur

  • AddThis
  • Federated Media
  • Google Analytics
  • MixPanel
  • New Relic
  • Quantcast
  • Rubicon
  • Tribal Fusion
  • Zedo
100. MapQuest

  • ADTECH
  • Advertising.com
  • DoubleClick
  • Facebook Connect
  • Facebook Social Plugins
  • Google Analytics
  • Omniture
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Twitter Button

In the spirit of full disclosure, here is the list for Digital Trends:

  • AppNexus
  • BrightRoll
  • ChartBeat
  • Facebook Connect
  • Google +1
  • Google Adsense
  • Google Analytics
  • LinkedIn Widgets
  • NetRatings SiteCensus
  • OpenX
  • Pinterest
  • ScoreCard Research Beacon
  • Twitter Button
This article has been updated with addition information.

Image via Petya Nikolova Petrova/Shutterstock

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Want to know what data Facebook has on you? A primer on what you get and how to get it
want to know what data facebook has on you a primer get and how it

Do you want to know the real reason why 1.15 billion people are using Facebook? It’s because there are 1.15 billion on Facebook, making it the one of the best resources for information on any given individual with an account. The social network’s growing population is what makes it the best research tool, and even though Mark Zuckerberg is the brains behind this juggernaut of a tech company, at the end of the day, it’s the data people voluntarily give the site that gives it its immense power. And you are the supplier of said data and said power.
And you know what they say about power: With it comes great responsibility, and that’s also true when it comes to being active on social media. It’s a good thing Facebook allows users to request personal data stored on the social site. They also provide a way for you to download your personal information. However, before we get into the how-to of it all, here’s where you can double-check what information you have on the surface and what you can expect to get from your Facebook data archive.
Where your data is displayed
Timeline: This is first, most obvious place to find any bit of information that relates to you. Everything you’ve every posted on the site can essentially be accessed through your own Facebook Wall (even though it's not called that anymore) and depending on how tight you’ve set up your account and privacy settings, you will be able to review personal posts by logging into your Facebook account.
Inbox: Just like email, this is where you can find all the personal messages you’ve sent and received, either offline or through chat. Additionally, you have the Other inbox, but more often than not, it contains stuff you wouldn’t necessarily want to bother with (but please, for your peace of mind, check it anyway).
About Me page: If you’ve filled out every section on this page, anybody who has access to it can find out all about you – your name, where you’re from, where you work or go to school, your birthday, your relationship status, your gender, your political and religious affiliation, and other pertinent contact information like email and phone number (and much more). At a glance, you can also see a section for your photos, your Friends list, your Instagram feed, pages you’ve liked, and places you’ve checked into. It goes without saying that to be on the safe side, your About Me page should at least be restricted to Friends Only view.
Activity Log: This is what you check out when you want to backtrack on your steps in the site. You can review the posts you’ve liked, commented on, and shared. You can review posts wherein people have tagged you, and if you have the option enabled, this is where you approve them for posting to your Timeline. You can look at all the apps you have used and go through all the keywords you have ever typed into Graph Search (and if you want to delete all traces of your Facebook stalking, this is where you clear all search results).
What’s inside a Facebook data archive
Now that we’ve covered all the obvious spots that showcase your information, let’s go through the contents of your data download and summarize the list Facebook has provided.

Generic personal information, such as all the contents of your About Me page (see above), any home addresses you’ve associated with your account, alternate and maiden names you’ve declared, any name changes to the original name you used at sign-up.
Marketing information, like ads that you’ve clicked and the dates and times of when you clicked them and a list of ad topics that Facebook is targeting you for based on pages you’ve liked, your interests, and other information you’ve posted on your Timeline.
Credit card information (if you’ve ever given it to purchase apps or ads) and your preferred currency.
Timeline information, AKA anything anyone has ever posted on your wall (and vice versa) and everything you have ever posted on Facebook, including photos (along with their corresponding metadata), videos, and status updates.
Apps and badges you've added to your account
Events you’ve joined
Pages you’re an administrator of
Messages you’ve sent and received, NOT including ones that you have deleted.
Notes you’ve published
Pokes you’ve given and received (yes, really), not including ones given and received through the mobile app.
Connection information, like your Facebook Chat history, a list of people who’ve liked your page or RSVPed to your event, anybody who’s installed your app or checked into a place you advertised within 24 hours of viewing or clicking on an ad or Sponsored Story, your friends list, a list of people you’ve removed as friends, users you've declared as family members, list of people you follow and who follow you, pending sent and received friend requests, and all the groups you are a member of.
Facial recognition data, defined as “a unique number based on a comparison of the photos you're tagged in” that is used to help other people tag you in photos.
Account information, such as your IP address, dates and times associated with logins to your Facebook account, registration date, dates when your account was reactivated, deactivated, disabled or deleted, active sessions and all the information that goes with them (date, time, device, IP address, machine cookie and browser information), the language you use Facebook with, your notification settings, current privacy settings (previous ones are not saved), actions you’ve done and interactions you’ve had recently, and the URL username you chose for your account.

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#Lifeloggers documentary explores the coming world of tracking your every move
memotos lifeloggers movie explores the pros and cons of self monitoring mhealth cafe

When we first heard about the little square lifelogging camera that had the power to document every 30 seconds of every day of your life, we were excited at what this meant for image-sharing platforms and the quantified self movement. Now the Memoto team, the creators of the camera, had produced a short documentary discussing the entire idea, and the pros and cons, behind the entire concept of lifelogging.
Most of the portable apps and devices available today are designed to track one’s progress on absolutely anything. You’ve got Fitbit for fitness and sleep activity monitoring, MyFitnessPal to keep track of your food intake, MercuryApp to chronicle your daily moods – these are just a handful of examples of a whole slew of products and sites that all cater to self accountability, with a purpose as simple as improving one’s health and overall well-being. Lifelogging may seem like an unfamiliar term to some, but it’s becoming increasingly prevalent – in the U.S. alone, 69 percent of adults track at least one health indicator, although most of them still do it the manually, either by memory or through paper.
The short film starts with a very basic definition of the term lifelog: "A record of a person’s everyday life produced by a portable device which they regularly carry around," then diving into one-on-one accounts with people who are involved in the quantitative self movement.
You might think that lifelogging is something of an outsider movement, but it's clear that those on the inside - and researching the market - believe otherwise. "We learn by being," says Steve Mann, who has been researching cyborgs and wearing different lifelogging devices since the 80s. He does, however, acknowledge some of the consequences of relying on technological prostheses. "We've forgotten nature, we've forgotten how to grow our own food. We've forgotten natural sustainabilitites." In addition to this reliance on technology, there's also the psyche that needs to be questioned: We're also self-involved and aware as it is, thanks to the narcissistic tendencies social networking breeds in us. Won't wearing a device that keeps you up to date on all things ... you ... only contribute? 
While thinking about these negatives is surely worth discussion, there's no denying the benefits. Self-tracking is a proven method for improving health, lifelogging has ample room for those who wish to prioritize quality over quantity. In the short movie, manual lifelogger Maren Connery shows her vast collection of binders containing photos, clippings, and random reminders. “I specifically date everything, so I know what I was doing on any particular day for the last 10, 15 years of my life,” says Connery. This is very different from the regular lifelogging approach that entails counting the number of times a person does a specific action, made famous by international collaboration Quantified Self.
Memoto intentionally chose filmmakers who were unfamiliar with the concept of lifelogging so that the audience could follow along with them better, gradually coming to understand what it really is. “We wanted to show the world how big the lifelogging movement really is and how much thought that has been put into it by academics, researchers, and enthusiasts,” says Memoto CEO Martin Källström. “Lifelogging helps you to know who you are, a unique person with your own abilities and interests. It's a movement that has come a long way but right now is on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough.”
Källström believes the reason lifelogging is on the bleeding edge of wearable technology – alongside companies like Google and Apple – is the fact that current user behavior perfectly matches the state of the art technology and what it is able to deliver. Memoto’s lifelogging cameras will be ready for shipping by the end of summer this year - but for now, you can watch #Lifeloggers below. 

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Watch out, the FTC says sneaky data brokers may illegally sell your data

Every time we use a social network, search Google, shop online, or simply browse the Web, we leave a hearty data trail in our wake.  Even when you're thoroughly logged off - you forgot your smartphone at home, you haven't looked at Twitter in days - you can still contribute to your data profile by doing something as simple as paying for gas with a loyalty card. Did you add a pack of Orbit gum to that purchase? That'll go into your profile. Companies called data brokers collect this information from a variety of sources to create horrifically detailed profiles of individuals, like a deranged version of Hansel-and-Gretels, on the hunt for a complete, detailed profile of you instead of a candy house - and you're leaving behind plenty of bread crumbs to follow. 
Just the fact that these companies exist should raise a few hairs on the back of your neck - and now the FTC just sent warning letters to 10 of these companies urging them to review the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FTC issued these warnings after they did a test-shopping investigation, which means they posed as individuals and businesses and asked around to see what companies would offer to do for them, and some of what the services offered violate privacy regulations. What does this mean for your data privacy? 
Absolutely nothing good. The FTC's actions here are a necessary step, but more stringent action is required to actually curb the data brokerage industry. In an ideal world, these letters would absolutely require companies like Brokers Data and U.S. Data Corporation to stop offering consumer information to use in insurance decisions - which is what the FTC says they appear to be doing. And the letters would also make the six companies that appear to offer your information to employers stop doing that. These letters don't legally compel these businesses, though, so they may take their chances until the FTC actually slams them with a fine. 
After all, if they don't end up getting penalized, the rewards for being in the data brokerage industry are too great. It's obvious that companies are hungry to use data to inform their marketing campaigns. Data brokerage is booming.  That's why Facebook keeps tightening alliances with three of the largest data brokers in the U.S., Datalogix, Acxiom, and Epsilon. A small consolation is that none of the Facebook-affiliated data brokers received a warning letter. But that doesn't mean they won't in the future. 
The FTC has the power to fine data brokers who violate the FCRA, and it has in the past. Social media aggregator Spokeo settled with an $800,000 fine for selling information that violated the FCRA. And the FTC isn't shy about issuing larger fines to big companies that run afoul of privacy regulations, as its $22.5 million penalty settlement with Google illustrates. 
So what can be done? Harsh fines are a good first step, but considering the vast potential for profit data brokers have, legislation will probably be more crucial to actually changing the brokerage industry. As Digital Trends' Andrew Couts wrote earlier this year, "we need laws that empower consumers in the face of big data." Couts suggested laws like California's recently proposed bill, "The Right to Know Act 2013," which would require companies to give up a year's worth of personal data to people who wanted to see what they've collected. 
After all, the idea of collecting data that's been voluntarily thrown into the digital ether isn't an inherently evil pursuit - it's more the fact that we aren't told when and where our data is collected, and that most people don't realize the extreme reach of these companies, that's so troubling. At least the FTC warnings help people learn about which companies to investigate and look into ways to opt out of their specific programs. 

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