browser-intake-us5-datadoghq.com: Datadog’s Invasive Browser Monitoring

Datadog’s tracker, browser-intake-us5-datadoghq.com, is designed to monitor your interactions with websites, capturing detailed performance and behavior data. While it’s marketed as a tool for developers, its invasive data collection poses a real threat to your privacy. Here’s a breakdown of what it does and how to shield yourself.

What Is browser-intake-us5-datadoghq.com?

This domain belongs to Datadog, a company offering monitoring tools for apps and websites. It tracks how users like you navigate sites, logging everything from load times to errors. As Privacy Auditors, we’re concerned about the depth of data it grabs without your explicit consent.

Data It Collects

When you’re on a site using Datadog, it captures:

• IP Address: Pinpoints your location, linking to your home or office.
• User-Agent: Identifies your browser and OS, such as ‘Chrome 120.0 on Windows 11’.
• Session ID: Ties your actions together with a unique tag.
• Page URL: Logs the exact page, including any search terms or IDs.
• Performance Metrics: Tracks load times and delays in milliseconds.
• JavaScript Errors: Records site issues with detailed error logs.
• Referrer URL: Notes where you came from, like a specific ad.
• Timestamps: Marks every action with precise timing.

This data builds a profile of your online habits, ripe for exploitation.

Who Gets Your Data?

Datadog shares your information with:

• Website Owner: The site using Datadog gets full access to your behavior data.
• Cloud Provider: Entities like AWS store your data on Datadog’s behalf.
• Third-Party Subcontractor: Analytics partners process your information.
• Government Entity: Datadog complies with legal requests, potentially sharing your IP or session data.

How to Protect Yourself

We at Privacy Auditors are dedicated to safeguarding your digital footprint. Here’s how to block Datadog’s tracking:

• Use Tracker Blockers: Install extensions or subscribe to Privacy Auditor’s service to stop scripts from this domain.
• Deploy a VPN: Mask your IP with a service like Mullvad to obscure your location.
• Switch to Privacy Browsers: Use Firefox with strict settings or Tor for anonymity.
• Disable JavaScript: Block tracking scripts by turning off JavaScript, though some sites may break.
• Clear Cookies: Regularly wipe cookies to disrupt session tracking.

Combine these steps for stronger defense against invasive trackers like Datadog.

Sources

• Datadog Privacy Policy: https://www.datadoghq.com/legal/privacy/
• Datadog Documentation: https://docs.datadoghq.com/

This is a legal disclaimer. All information is provided for educational purposes only.