static.hotjar.com: Hotjar’s Invasive Behavior Tracking

Hotjar’s static.hotjar.com domain meticulously tracks your interactions on websites using its analytics tools. It creates heatmaps and session recordings, capturing your every move at the cost of your privacy. Here’s what it collects and how to block it.

What Is static.hotjar.com?

Hotjar offers tools for website owners to analyze user behavior through heatmaps and recordings. This tracker logs clicks, scrolls, and more to build detailed profiles, which Privacy Auditors find extremely intrusive.

Data It Collects

When you visit a site with Hotjar, it captures:

• Mouse Movements: Tracks X/Y coordinates and timestamps of your cursor.
• Clicks: Logs where and when you click, including specific elements.
• Scroll Depth: Measures how far you scroll, in pixels or percentage.
• IP Address: Records your network location for geographic insights.
• Session ID: Links your actions during a visit for tracking.
• User-Agent: Notes browser, OS, and device for profiling.
• Cookie IDs: Uses identifiers for persistent monitoring across sessions.

This paints an intimate picture of your online behavior.

Who Gets Your Data?

Hotjar shares your information with:

• Website Owner: Provides detailed analytics to sites using Hotjar.
• Third-Party Data Processor: Sends data to subcontractors for storage.
• Legal Authority: Complies with requests under data protection laws.

How to Protect Yourself

Privacy Auditors are committed to your defense:

• Block Trackers: Use Privacy Auditor’s paid service to stop static.hotjar.com scripts. The free version detects trackers.
• Use a VPN: Mask your IP with a tool like Mullvad to hide location data.
• Switch to Privacy Browsers: Use Firefox with strict protection or Tor for anonymity.
• Disable JavaScript: Halt scripts via settings or NoScript, though sites may break.
• Clear Cookies: Wipe tracking identifiers to disrupt surveillance.

Layer these protections to reduce Hotjar’s tracking.

Sources

• Hotjar Privacy Policy: https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/privacy/

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