In plain English
It is used to watch and keep a record of what a person does online over time. It can continue following that activity, especially across different websites or apps, so information can be collected about the person's behaviour and interests.
In context
Here, "tracker" names a technology that records and follows a person's online activity, especially across different websites or apps, in order to collect information about that person's behaviour and interests.
- Situation
- Understanding encryption, privacy, data-sharing, and secure-connection labels
- What it communicates
- names a tool or component that follows user activity
Meaning limits
The term alone does not say who operates the technology or what is done with the information after it is collected.
Examples
“A tracker followed her from a recipe website to several shopping apps and collected information about what interested her.”
“Before consenting, they asked whether the tracker also followed activity in other apps.”