Web Beacons

Web beacons are tiny, transparent graphic images that are embedded in a web page or email and allow the collection of data on user behavior. They are also known as web bugs, tracking pixels, or clear GIFs. Marketers and website owners frequently use them to monitor the success of their online campaigns and to compile data on user demographics, preferences, and hobbies.

Web beacons can be added to a website or email without the user’s awareness and are frequently invisible to them. When a user loads a webpage or opens an email, they operate by requesting a little image file from a distant server. This request contains data that can be used to track user behaviour, such as the user’s IP address and browser information.

And some of the examples of  Web beacons includes but no limited to:

• Email tracking pixels are tiny, undetectable graphics that are inserted into emails and allow senders to monitor if the recipient has viewed the email and, if so, when and how many times.
• Ad tracking pixels: These are used by advertisers to monitor the performance of their advertisements and to compile data on user behavior, such as whether a person clicked on an ad or went to a certain page.
• Analytics tracking pixels: Webmasters use them to monitor user activity on their sites, such as which pages visitors view and how long they remain.

Web beacons and cookies vary primarily in that web beacons are not kept on the user’s device whereas cookies are. A website may keep information about a user, such as login credentials or preference information, in the form of little text files called cookies on the user’s device. Instead than storing any data on the user’s device, web beacons are used to gather data regarding the user’s behavior. Additionally, consumers have no control over the use of web beacons because they are not visible to them, in contrast to how they can regulate the use of cookies through their browser settings.