c.amazon-adsystem.com: Amazon’s Invasive Ad Tracking Tool

Amazon’s tracker, c.amazon-adsystem.com, lurks behind the scenes to monitor your browsing and shopping behavior. It feeds Amazon’s advertising machine, eroding your privacy with every click. Let’s break down what it does and how to shield yourself.

What Is c.amazon-adsystem.com?

This domain powers Amazon’s ad system, tracking your activity across Amazon’s platform and partner websites. It collects data to build a profile for personalized ads, intruding on your personal online experience without hesitation.

Data It Collects

When you interact with Amazon or its partners, this tracker grabs:

• Geolocation: IP-based data revealing your city or neighborhood.
• IP Address: Your digital identifier tied to your physical location.
• Browsing History: URLs and product pages you visit, like ’laptop deals'.
• Ad Interactions: Clicks on ads, ad IDs, and exact timestamps.
• Device ID: Identifiers like Google Advertising ID (GAID) for cross-device tracking.
• User ID: Amazon account ID if logged in, tied to purchase history.
• Cookie IDs: Tracking cookies (e.g., ‘session-id’) for long-term monitoring.
• Search Queries: Terms like ‘wireless headphones’ on Amazon or partner sites.
• Browser Type: Details like Chrome 120.0 for profiling.
• Operating System: Info like Android 13 for fingerprinting.
• Referrer URL: Where you came from, like a blog or search engine.
• Timestamps: Every action logged down to the second.

This data creates a precise map of your online habits, stripping away your anonymity.

Who Gets Your Data?

Amazon shares this data with:

• Amazon Advertising Partner: For ad delivery and analytics.
• Third-Party Advertiser: Using Amazon’s platform for targeting.
• Cloud Service Provider: Like AWS for storage and processing.
• Law Enforcement Agency: Upon legal request, sharing IP and ad data.

How to Protect Yourself

At Privacy Auditor, we’re dedicated to guarding your privacy. Here’s how to block this tracker:

• Use Tracker Blockers: Tools like Privacy Auditor’s paid service can stop c.amazon-adsystem.com. Check your browser settings for tracker-blocking extensions.
• Deploy a VPN: Hide your IP with a VPN like Mullvad to mask your location.
• Opt for Privacy Browsers: Use Firefox with strict tracking protection or Tor Browser.
• Disable Cookies: Clear or block cookies regularly to disrupt tracking.
• Limit Amazon Usage: Avoid logging in or browsing Amazon if possible.

Combine these steps for stronger defense against Amazon’s invasive tracking.

Sources

• Amazon Privacy Notice: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=468496
• Amazon Advertising Policies: https://advertising.amazon.com/resources/ad-policy

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