By analyzing over 3,000 websites and over 100,000 associated webpages (using the client-side security scanning feature of Feroot Inspector) across 6 sectors, it was determined that pixels/Trackers transfer data to almost 100 countries around the globe. Table 1 shows the top 40 destinations of data being transferred by pixels/trackers collecting data from the analyzed websites – all of which were US-based.
Some locations were within nation states – like China and Russia that are known for spying and surveillance – and were receiving user data through pixels/trackers loaded into browsers from US-based websites. This could include privacy and sensitive data entered on mission-critical webpages.
Data captured by pixels/trackers from the US-based websites is predominantly sent to domains in the US; however, this does preclude the possibility of those domains being owned and/or controlled by bad actors. In which case, they could after receipt of the data in the US transfer it outside the US.
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CEO and co-founder of Feroot Security, Member GDPR Advisory Committee at Standard Council of Canada, and is based in Toronto, Canada.
