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Hey Hulu, What’cha Tracking?
Last night we wrote about the new set of embeddable widgets that video streaming service Hulu has launched. It sure seems like the widgets load very slowly. While watching the widget load, I noticed that they are grabbing data and pushing it to Omniture’s tracking beacon. This is the same beacon we wrote about with regards to Adobe and their potential spyware.
There’s nothing in the Hulu privacy policy regarding the widgets and any sort of tracking. There’s also no notice of tracking on the Hulu widget page. Should there be? And more importantly, should I as the person embedding the widgets understand what it is that Hulu is tracking? Trust me, I am a tracking freak so I understand the need for Hulu to understand how and where their widgets are being used. But I’d also like to see some transparency regarding what it is that they are tracking. How can I be assured that they aren’t tracking items outside of their widget? What information isbeing passed back to Hulu from my site and more importantly, my site visitors.
I’d like to see Hulu create a checkbox that the person lifting the widget has agreed to the terms of the widget which must include what it is that Hulu is tracking.
This is a simple example of a topic which will need to be discussed as an industry at some point in the very near future. Are all widgets considered a form of advertising and ad-based rules apply? When I embed a widget on my site, what responsibilities do I and the widget source have in communicating privacy and terms with regards to the widget(s)?
? Yes, I do have some filters up, but not for all the domains which are serving content to this webpage.
Do you know their privacy policies on their storage of our IP addresses? How about the other websites on which they have beacons, so we can gauge our risk of cross-site tracking?
Excellent point – I load your site, get a Hulu widget and who knows what they are tracking – something to think about.
Stuff like this can get you’re app a beatdown in EU countries with very strict privacy laws.
Hi Allen, when I visit your website here I can understand the Mint cookies, but I’m a bit uncomfortable with all the third-party requests this page is making… done enough, such “web beacons” enable cross-site tracking.
I use AdBlock Plus already, but gosh, there’s a lot of domains which get notified when a visitor arrives here:
widgets.outbrain.com, diystartupnews.com, tags.expo9.exponential.com, google-analytics.com, static.getclicky.com, d.yimg.com, ad.afy11.net, s3.amazonaws.com, s9.addthis.com, pub.mybloglog.com, feeds.feedburner.com, pipes.yahoo.com, digg.com, nht-2.extreme-dm.com, justaddme.com
Hi John – thanks for your note – can you confirm that you are blocking ads when you visit this site?
aren’t most free sites doing this, plus some paid ones too? the service is just the hook, don’t you think?
yes please I love hitting the horrible-annoying, no-one-ever-reads, obligatory check box before I do anything. No one cares, if they do care they can hit the privacy link. Now if they don’t have anything regarding tracking there then they really need to get their ducks in a row, but I’m begging you, NO MORE CHECK BOXES!!!