How To Stop Websites From Tracking Your Personal Information

What Personal Data Can Websites Collect When You Use Them? 

Most websites use some form of tracking to gather user information and create visitor profiles. In fact, data tracking has become so pervasive that 61% of Americans feel skeptical that they can even do anything to protect their privacy online [*]. 

Every time you use a search engine or visit a website, the following information could be tracked:

• IP address and your city or region
• Online activity
• Search history
• Open tabs
• Device information 
• Product views and purchases
• Settings and preferences 

Thankfully, the majority of websites track users for relatively straightforward reasons, such as targeted advertising, website security, user experience improvements, and website performance analytics. 

The motivations behind online tracking may be harmless — but if your data and information fall into the wrong hands, it can still be used against you.

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How Do Websites Track Your Personal Information? 

Website tracking is the process of collecting user activity data, such as how visitors behave on certain webpages and what content they interact with. 

In most cases, this data is used to create personalized advertising and a more intuitive browsing experience. With the help of website analytics, website owners can use tracking information to analyze visitor behavior, optimize site performance, and improve content strategies and conversions.

For example, Netflix tracks user content interaction history to inform its program and movie recommendations [*]. Similarly, Amazon tracks user activity to create interest-based ads and product suggestions; and Spotify tracks listening habits to curate a personalized "Discover Weekly" playlist. 

Here are some of the tracking methods used by modern websites:

• Tracking cookies. Small data files stored on your device tell website owners details about your visit and browsing habits. 
• IP tracking. Every time you visit a website, your device shares its IP address — revealing your general location and allowing communication.
• Device and browser fingerprinting. When you visit a website, a piece of JavaScript attaches itself to your device and web browser, creating a unique identifier along with tracking information such as your IP address, device settings, and browser and operating system details. 
• Tracking pixels or web beacons. Small pieces of code added to websites and emails track your device information and browsing activity. 
• Tracking scripts. JavaScript snippets on websites monitor internet user activity and behavior.
• Third-party tracking. Third-party cookies and tracking codes are embedded on multiple websites to create and share a more complete user activity profile.
• Tracking links. URLs track user clicks and where they come from.
• ‍Favicons. Small and persistent website graphics displayed in browser tabs track new and returning user visits.

Do You Need To Be Worried About Website Tracking? 8 Risks

• Search history exposure. Personalized ads and pop-ups related to your previous search history can have embarrassing consequences and security risks if someone else uses your device or accounts. For example, these ads could show private websites you've visited or medical conditions you've researched.
• Personal data sales. Some websites sell your data to other companies to generate revenue. For example, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined Avast Antivirus $16.5 million in 2024 for selling user browsing data [*]. 
• Location revealed. Your IP address can reveal your region, which can lead to targeted advertising and restricted content. In combination with other personal data, your IP address could be used to find out your exact location. 
• Online accounts hacked. In rare cases, hackers can steal user tracking data and use it to break  into accounts. In 2024, for example, hackers used stolen authentication cookies to gain continuous access to people's Google services [*].
• Cross-site tracking. By tracking users across different websites, companies can create more complete profiles about them. Along with the obvious data privacy concerns, cross-site tracking makes it unclear who is actually using your information.  
• Phishing vulnerability. If cybercriminals know who you are and what you've done online, they can pose as trusted organizations and reference your recent activity to customize more convincing scams. 
• Decision-making influenced. Tracking can allow companies to manipulate you and guide your decisions over time by controlling what ads and content you see.
• Data leaks. Regardless of their intentions, if the companies that collect your information don't properly secure it, a data leak could put you in serious jeopardy. That's what happened in early 2024, when cybercriminals broke into the databases of National Public Data and stole billions of private records, including Social Security numbers (SSNs) [*].

Shockingly, the information generated by website trackers represents just a fraction of the amount of personal information available online. For instance, data brokers create detailed user profiles by scraping public sites and buying user data from other companies. They then sell that information to advertisers, agencies, and even scammers. 

If you're curious about what personal information of yours is available online, try out Aura’s free digital footprint scanner. 

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How To Stop Websites From Tracking Your Data

You might not be able to stop website tracking in its entirety, but you can seriously limit the data that sites can find out about you by following these steps:

1. Browse by using a virtual private network (VPN)

When you connect to the internet with a VPN, your traffic and IP address are encrypted and hidden from onlookers, including your internet service provider (ISP). Though a VPN can hide your location and online activities from some parties, it doesn't give you complete anonymity. 

Some things to consider regarding VPNs:

• Online accounts. Your VPN won't hide your activity if you connect to an online account. When you log in to your Google, Microsoft, or social media accounts, everything you do can be tracked and connected back to you. 
• Online searches. A VPN hides your online searches from your ISP and Google but only to a degree. For example, Google may not return IP-related search results to you, but it can identify and track you in other ways — such as through your search tendencies, your online behavior, and even the screen resolution and fonts that you use. 
• VPN tracking. While a VPN can prevent ISPs from monitoring your online activity, some VPN providers collect and log your data themselves. Avoid this by using a VPN with a no-logs policy or a promise to delete or anonymize your data.

2. Regularly delete your browsing history, cache, and cookies

Deleting your browsing history, cache, and cookies on a regular basis makes it more difficult for websites to identify you. In turn, this can reduce the amount of personalized ads you receive. It can also improve the performance of your device and ensure that you see the latest version of the websites you visit. 

How to delete these browsing trackers on popular browsers:

• Apple Safari. In Settings, click on Apps and then Safari. Select Clear History and Website Data. If you want to delete just your cache and cookies but not your history, click on Advanced, then Website Data, and then Remove All Website Data. 
• Google Chrome. At the top right of a Google Chrome window, click on More (⋮) and then Delete Browsing Data. Select what type of data you want to delete, and click on Delete Data.  
• Mozilla Firefox. From the hamburger menu bar (≡) of a Firefox window, click on History and then Clear Recent History. Choose the types of data to delete, and click on Clear.

📚 Related: How To Remove Your Personal Information From Google Search →

3. Adjust your browser and device-level privacy settings

Your browsers and devices have privacy settings that you can tweak to control what information you share automatically and how it's used. In most cases, the default settings give too much freedom to websites and apps, so you may need to add some restrictions or requests. Many websites still find ways around these, but tightening your security can help nonetheless. 

Some settings adjustments you can make:

• Control privacy. Navigate to Safari's Preferences > Privacy or Chrome's Privacy and security > Ad privacy and use the toggles to stop websites from showing ads based on your history or activity or measuring an ad's effectiveness. 
• Do Not Track requests. Go to Safari's Preferences > Privacy or Chrome's Privacy and security > Third-party cookies and select the Do Not Track option.   
• Manage permissions. Under Safari's Settings > Websites or Website Settings and Chrome's Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings, you can restrict permissions for websites to see your location, send pop-ups, or use saved information about you.  

4. Try private browsing modes

Private browsing modes vary in functionality, but they typically stop browsers from storing your browsing history, cookies, and information from a session. Some private browsing modes also help prevent websites from using trackers [*]. What private browsing doesn't do, however, is keep you anonymous or prevent all forms of tracking. 

How to use the most popular private browsing modes:

• Chrome's incognito mode. Click on More (⋮) and select New Incognito Window.
• Safari's private browsing. Select File > New Private Window on a Mac; or open up a new window and select Private Browsing on the tab bar on an iPhone. 
• Firefox's private browsing. Click on the menu button (≡) and select New Private Window.

5. Use anti-track software on your devices

Anti-tracking and ad-blocking software can block annoying and intrusive website trackers and ads. These programs come as browser extensions or plug-ins, and they help obscure your digital fingerprint by clearing cookies and disrupting tracking scripts. 

📚 Related: The 8 Best Anti-Tracking Software For Online Privacy →

6. Opt out of targeted or personalized advertising

Opting out of personalized advertising stops various platforms from using your information to generate targeted ads. This doesn't stop these platforms from tracking your information or from showing you ads altogether, but it does prevent them from using your information for advertising purposes. 

A few ways to opt out of personalized advertising:

• Google. Check out My Ad Center in your Google account, and switch off the Personalized Ads toggle [*].
• Apple. Go into your device's Privacy & Security settings, and click on Apple Advertising. Here, you can toggle off Personalized Ads. 
• Microsoft. Go into your Ad Settings in your Microsoft account Settings and toggle the switch to off [*]. 

7. Review and decline cookie notices on websites

In order to comply with data privacy laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), many websites now provide you with a notification about how they use cookies when you enter the site. Some sites give you the option to decline cookies altogether, while others provide a more complicated set of options. 

How to handle cookie notifications:

• Reject all. If you have the option to decline all cookies, choose it.
• Accept only essential cookies. Some websites require certain cookies to run, like keeping you logged in or remembering your shopping cart as you move between pages. 
• Customize cookies. Rather than accept all, click on “customize cookies.” Some sites even hide an "essential cookies only" option here. 

📚 Related: How To Protect Your Online Privacy →

8. Remove your personal information from data broker lists

Data brokers collect your personal information from public records, online purchases, websites, and social media. They compile the data and create profiles that people can search or buy online. Some brokers allow you to opt out of these data collection processes and remove your profile from their websites. This can take time and is rarely permanent, but it can help reduce your visibility online. 

How to remove your information from data broker lists:

• Manual method. Search for your data on major broker websites like Acxiom, Whitepages, and Spokeo, and follow their opt-out procedures.
• Automatic method. You can enlist a paid service to automate the removal process. Organizations like Aura, Incogni, and DeleteMe will request data removals and opt-outs on your behalf. 

9. Request that your contact details are removed from Google search

Your personal information should never be listed on Google without your consent. If you know that your sensitive information is out there, you can request to have it removed. 

How to remove information from Google:

• Manual search and remove requests. Perform a search for your information on Google. If you see a result that shares your information, click on More (⋮) and then Remove result. Select It shows my personal contact info and follow the instructions.
• Submit a content removal report. Report any URLs that contain your personal information by using this Google form. 
• Results about you. Click on your Avatar in the Google app and select Results about you, or find this feature in the Data & privacy section of your Google Account under History settings and My Activity. Enter in your personal information, and Google will search it for you. 

10. Consider using a secure browser

Some browsers prioritize privacy and security by minimizing data collection and blocking ads and trackers. Unlike traditional browsers, these options may block cookies, prevent fingerprinting, and delete your browsing history for you. They may even tackle tracking scripts, but they can't make you completely anonymous. Brave and DuckDuckGo are two options. 

11. Limit the number of accounts you sign up for (and the data you give them)

Every account you create online makes your digital footprint larger and increases your exposure to web tracking and potential data leaks. By limiting the number of accounts you have online and the amount of information you provide, you can greatly reduce your risk. 

Tips to limit account information:

• Stick to the major channels. Resist the urge to create accounts on non-essential websites. If you can, set up an alternate email address and phone number to create accounts without having to risk the privacy of your main address.  
• Delete unused accounts. If you no longer use an account, delete it to remove your information from the web. If you can't delete the account, change your personal information so that it can't be used against you. ‍
• Provide only mandatory information. Avoid filling out any optional fields when setting up an account.

The Bottom Line: Your Privacy Shouldn’t Be For Sale

Any time you visit a website online, it's almost guaranteed that you're going to be tracked. 

Tracking doesn't just seem intrusive — if you let it go unchecked, it can have serious consequences. With the right tools and adjustments to your privacy settings, you can take control of the type and amount of personal information that websites collect. 

You can also seek help from the professionals. Aura will set you up with anti-track, a VPN, and Safe Browsing tools, along with award-winning identity theft protection and junk and spam call blockers. Aura can also detect and remove tracking spyware and malware, as well as streamline the process of removing your information from data broker lists.