IN a startling revelation, Kaspersky's latest analysis highlights a staggering rise in web tracking activities, uncovering over 38 billion instances of data collection across the Internet this year alone.
With an average of one million tracking attempts detected each day, the implications for user privacy and data security are becoming increasingly concerning.
Web tracking has become a pervasive element of online activity, involving the collection, storage and analysis of user behaviour data.
This encompasses everything from demographics and website visits, to time spent on pages and interaction metrics such as clicks and scrolls. Businesses harness this wealth of information to tailor user experiences, enhance engagement, target advertising more effectively and assess the performance of their online services.
Kaspersky said its recent analysis focused on the 25 most commonly used tracking services, including those from major players like Alphabet Inc — Google Display & Video 360, Google Analytics, Google AdSense and YouTube Analytics — as well as platforms from New Relic and Microsoft.
From July last year to June this year, the company detected an astonishing 38,725,551,855 instances of data collection, translating to approximately 1,060,974 occurrences each day.
The report offers a detailed examination of tracking service prevalence across different regions, revealing several key insights:
Google Display and Video 360 dominates as the most prevalent tracking system in Asia, accounting for 25.47 per cent of "Do not track" (DNT) triggers in South Asia and 24.45 per cent in East Asia. In contrast, its presence is significantly lower in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), where local tracking services are more prominent, representing only 8.38 per cent.
Google Analytics, which focuses on user behaviour and keyword tracking for website optimisation, has its largest market share in Latin America at 14.89 per cent, followed closely by the Middle East at 14.12 per cent.
Google AdSense trackers are most prevalent in the Middle East (6.91 per cent) and South Asia (6.85 per cent), with minimal shares observed in Oceania (3.76 per cent) and the CIS (2.30 per cent).
Overall, Kaspersky said the presence of tracking systems has risen in nearly all regions surveyed. While some systems experienced declines in specific areas, the dominance of Google's tracking capabilities remains unchallenged.
Youtube Analytics leads in South Asia (12.71 per cent) and the Middle East (12.30 per cent), with lower shares in Europe (5.65 per cent) and North America (4.56 per cent).
Microsoft trackers have their strongest presence in Latin America (3.38 per cent) and the weakest in the CIS (0.68 per cent). Notably, Bing trackers show considerable activity in Africa (8.46 per cent), but remain underrepresented in the CIS (0.77 per cent).
In regions like South Korea, Japan and Russia, where local Internet services are well-established, regional tracking systems not only rank among the top 25, but also often surpass global competitors.
Kaspersky security and privacy expert Anna Larkina said: "While the top 25 tracking services illustrate that data collection is not limited to a handful of companies, an increase in organisations processing our information heightens the risk of breaches.
"Despite the strong incentive for tech giants to protect user data and maintain their reputations, it ultimately falls upon users to take responsibility for their own data security. Being mindful of the platforms they engage with and safeguarding their privacy is essential," she said.
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