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Brandon Hoppens
CST 300 - Writing Lab
February 5, 2024
Websites Tracking Their Users

Intro Page

Traversing the internet is now easier than ever before with instant access to information,

entertainment, and commercial goods. Its ease of use has allowed people around the globe to find

exactly what they are looking for through a simple search, making it the perfect medium to

connect companies to their customers. Using their own websites on the internet gives companies

a chance to further profits by reaching a wider audience, and a new way to collect data on their

customers.

Websites often track its users beyond the website page to gain a better understanding of

the user’s preferences and target specific advertisements the user may be interested in. This can

give a personalized experience for the user while showing deals for a product of interest, thus

generating more profits for the company that owns the website and/or product. However, a large

majority of websites do this and expand on their tracking beyond their websites, primarily using

third party cookies. Third party cookies are mostly used to track users beyond the website that

generated it, collecting information on what other websites the user visited and what products or

services the user is interested in. As mentioned earlier, this helps companies and marketers target

advertisements towards the user. (Johnson D., 2021). Despite the benefits of this, one can still

ask the question of whether or not it is morally sound.

User tracking started off small in the 1990’s as a way to see if a website was performing

well using data on how many people visited the website. This data was being collected for

around a decade, which became important and allowed for further development of data analysis.

In the 2000’s, Google had been growing as a company, and so was the popularity of its web
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search engine. They launched their web analysis product, Google Analytics, which used

additional data tracking such as user behavior, recording user sessions, etc. In the 2010’s, Google

utilized even more data tracking by using universal analytics and machine learning. This meant

users could be tracked across multiple devices and platforms which allows the website to create a

more personalized experience with advertisements and website content, and is commonly seen

today. (A brief history of website analytics, n.d.)

Stakeholder Analysis

The issue that arises from this topic is whether or not websites are tracking too much

information on users. As one may imagine there are two primary stakeholders in this scenario,

one is the company that owns the website and the other is the general public/user of the website.

Both stakeholders disagree with each other in regards to what is ethical about websites tracking

users and their information. So what are each stakeholder's values, position, and claims?

Stakeholder 1: Companies

Values. Website owners and companies tend to value profits above all else. Companies

need to gain a profit to be able to hire more workers, pay for their benefits, to grow as a

company, attract investors, etc. This is extremely costly and can financially burden the company

if not properly managed for success. Due to this fact, companies will value any source that can

lead to increased revenue.

Position. Companies most certainly want to be able to track their users across the

internet. The use of data tracking on people’s internet browsing can lead to significant profits in

advertising revenue, and sharing this information creates a financial incentive. Due to the fact

that consumer web browsing has developed into a platform for many aspects of people’s lives

including entertainment, shopping, research, and many other uses, there has been increased
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competition for companies and other website owners. In addition, companies can pay to

advertise their products on other websites generating ad revenue, as well as having increased

traffic to their own website. Now, through tracking users across websites, advertising has been

more efficient, and therefore, more profitable. Finally, this leads to a new market to tap into such

as the “personal data economy” where companies are able to purchase data directly from other

sources. (Elvy, 2017, p.1369). This shows that user data collection is profitable to companies and

also points to their position on the ethical dilemma.

Claim. Companies make a claim of cause, in which collecting data on users of their

platform causes benefits for both the company and its users. The benefits for the company are

increased profit through advertising and data sharing. The benefits for users are saved time and a

personalized experience, making it easier to find products the user may find interesting or useful.

Stakeholder 2: General Public

Values. The users however, are more interested in the cons of data tracking. Users tend to

value their privacy over ‘ease of use’. In the United States, the general public tends to value

privacy so much that the United States government has laws to protect the people’s privacy.

There can be many reasons as to why privacy is important, but the main reason is that privacy is

viewed as a fundamental right to have.

Position. The general public is against companies being able to track users across the

internet because users value privacy more than the benefits that are given. Users already share

their emails and passwords with companies to use their website. Despite this fact, companies are

able to track users beyond their website using cookies. This allows them to record what other

websites they frequently go to, what shows they like to watch, what products they buy, their

location, etc. Users would argue that companies do not need to know this amount of information.
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Claims. Users make a claim of value, as most users show a disapproval of tracking data

as it is commonly viewed as a cost to privacy. The amount of data being collected on users and

sold to other companies is a violation of their privacy and is viewed as morally wrong. Users can

also make a claim of policy in which user tracking across multiple websites should be illegal to

protect the public's right to privacy and their safety. Those looking to take advantage of internet

cookies can manage to steal user information, including their emails, passwords, and other

personal information. (Fleury, 2023).

Argument Question

Should companies be allowed to continue tracking their users across different websites on

the internet?

Stakeholder Arguments

Stakeholder 1: Company

Companies would argue that they should be allowed to continue tracking their users

across the internet. The ethical framework to support this position is utilitarian. Utilitarian ethics’

was used by many people over the course of history, but with no real definition, until Jeremy

Bentham and John Stuart Mill, who were commonly referred to as the founders of utilitarian

ethics, gave a clear definition on how to decide what is right from wrong. In general, utilitarian

ethics states the rightness of an act is determined by how much pleasure and how little

displeasure is generated for everyone affected. (West & Duignan, 2024).

Applying the utilitarian ethics, the company would argue that they are providing more

pleasure than displeasure, especially when accounting both sides of the argument. In doing so,

their action in collecting information is ethically sound. This is the foundation companies will

use to justify their position.

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To elaborate, the company would argue that the continued use of tracking users across

multiple websites on the internet would be the correct course of action because of how many

benefits it provides for both stakeholders. For example, internet tracking benefits the users by

allowing them to be shown more targeted advertisements for products they are interested in.

Additionally, this allows website owners to improve their user experience, and makes the use of

the internet more personalized for. (Dazzy, 2021). Companies would also benefit because

internet tracking allows them to gain advertising revenue, as well as more traffic to their own

products and services. As of 2021, it was estimated that 522.5 billion U.S. dollars were spent on

digital advertising worldwide with a projection reaching 836 billion dollars in 2026. (Digital

advertising spending worldwide from 2021 to 2026. 2023). The overall downsides are small in

comparison to the benefits gained by continuing and even expanding upon internet tracking.

As stated above, companies have a lot to gain from internet tracking. The most important

benefit being the profits that are generated. However, if companies were unable to continue

tracking their users, they would have much to lose as it has been shown to be a major influence

on their advertising revenue. Aleesha Jacob states the ad revenue alone for the most viewed

websites are projected to range from 1 thousand to 50 thousand dollars monthly in 2024. (Jacob,

2024). In addition, companies that pay for the advertising have something to gain if this practice

is continued. Companies use third party cookies to collect data on the users to see if they are

interested in their products, which in turn would be more advantageous than paying for an

advertisement to an audience that isn’t interested. (Gartlan, 2023).

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Stakeholder 2: General Public

The general public would argue that tracking users’ private information is morally wrong

and companies should not be able to track users across the internet. The ethical foundation that is

used for this argument is based around virtue. Virtue ethics was developed by ancient Greek

philosophers such as Aristotle, and determined what was right and wrong based on one’s

character. If one is being generous, honest, just, or acting in moderation, then the person is

morally correct. (Hursthouse & Pettigrove, 2022).

However, it can be argued that companies are not acting in moderation and are not being

truthful by gaining too much personal information on their users, with or without their consent.

David Martinez and others involved in their article analyzed almost 500 of the top websites

available on the internet using different algorithms to track how websites track their users. Part

of what was found in this study reveals about 94% of the analyzed websites use some form of

cookies without the users consent. (Martinez, D., Calle, E., Jove, A., & Cristina, P.S., 2022). This

information further enforces the idea that companies are not being truthful by failing to ask for

the user’s consent to collect information that would otherwise be considered private.

Furthermore, this shows that companies are not collecting user data in moderation because there

is a vast amount of websites that utilize user tracking. Hence, they are ethically incorrect by

continuing to track users.

The general public would argue that the solution to the problem would be to prevent

companies or websites from being able to track their users. Doing so will moderate companies

and eliminate any concerns the users may have for their privacy. This will align with the ethical

tenets of virtue, and thus be morally correct.

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This solution would allow the general public to gain a sense of privacy because

companies will not be able to collect information on their previously visited sites and purchased

products. However, they will also lose the benefits provided by the user tracking, such as

advertisements based around their interest and ease of use of their preferred websites.

Student Position

Through analyzing both stakeholders and their reasoning, I can understand the

importance of the pros and cons of collecting information on users throughout the internet.

However, I do not think companies should be allowed to track user information as thoroughly as

they have been.

My position aligns with the general public for multiple reasons. Although target

advertisements and personalized recommendations are convenient, I don’t feel it is worth the

cost in having my private information being collected and sold for profit. In other words, I value

my privacy more than the convenience of finding information I am interested in faster. I believe

companies that track users' personal information, especially without consent, are ethically

incorrect.

A recommendation I can offer to solve the issue is to prevent websites from being able to

use third party cookies. As mentioned previously, third party cookies are responsible for tracking

personal information about the user’s interests and follows across multiple websites after which

it was generated. This is what generates concern for most people in regards to their privacy. The

removal of this feature will likely appease the general public and is the best course of action.

Conclusion

User data collection has shown itself to benefit companies that utilize third party cookies,

and provides convenience for the general public. However, companies are utilizing third party
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cookies to a large degree, and in many cases without the user’s consent, which creates concern

for the user’s privacy. Companies can gain information on a user’s previously visited websites,

products of interest, and sell the information to other companies. The disadvantages of user data

collection outweigh the benefits and the use of data tracking is growing exponentially. Privacy is

a highly valued right, and thus, companies should not be allowed to continue to use third party

cookies.
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References

A brief history of website analytics. (n.d.). Leady. Retrieved January 29, 2024, from

https://leady.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-website-analytics/

Dazzy, D. (2021, August 30). The benefits and downsides of online tracking. Tech Strange.

Retrieved January 29, 2024, from

https://www.techstrange.com/pros-and-cons-of-online-tracking/#:~:text=Benefits%201%

20Easier%20Access%20To%20Better%20Deals%20Lots,for%20without%20entering%2

0a%20variety%20of%20data.%20

Digital advertising spending worldwide from 2021 to 2026. (2023, August 29). Statista Research

Department. Retrieved February 10, 2024, from

https://www.statista.com/statistics/237974/online-advertising-spending-worldwide/

Elvy, S.A. (2017, October 25). Paying for privacy and the Personal data economy. Columbia Law

Review, 117(6), 1369-1459. Retrieved from

https://web-p-ebscohost-com.csumb.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid

=cbdeb584-b22f-48bb-8a72-ab1f3f2ce779%40redis

Fleury, D. (2023, July 24). Stolen session cookies: the next big cyber threat. Forbes. Retrieved

February 10, 2024, from

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xt-big-cyber-threat/?sh=e0587225c982

Hursthouse, R. & Pettigrove, G. (2022, October 11). Virtue Ethics. Stanford Encyclopedia of

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https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/
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Jacob, A. (2024, January 9). How much ad revenue can a website make in 2024. MonetizeMore.

Retrieved February 10, 2024, from

https://www.monetizemore.com/blog/website-ad-revenue/

Johnson, D. (2021, April 6). A guide to internet cookies, the small files that store information

about your online activity. Business Insider. Retrieved January 29, 2024, from

https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-are-cookies#:~:text=1%20Cookies%2

C%20also%20known%20as%20%22HTTP%20cookies%2C%22%20are,privacy%20bec

ause%20they%20track%20your%20activity%20across%20websites.

Martinez, D., Calle, E., Jove, A., & Cristina, P. S. (2022). Web-tracking compliance: Websites’

level of confidence in the use of information-gathering technologies. Computers &

Security, 122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2022.102873

West, H. R. & Duignan, B. (2024, January 5). Utilitarianism. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved

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