widgets.guidestar.org: GuideStar’s Hidden Tracking

GuideStar’s widgets.guidestar.org quietly monitors your interactions with nonprofit profiles on their platform. It collects data to analyze engagement, chipping away at your privacy while you explore charitable causes. Here’s what it does and how to defend yourself.

What Is widgets.guidestar.org?

This domain supports widgets on GuideStar (now Candid), a platform for nonprofit information. It tracks user activity to measure engagement, often feeding into analytics that disregard your personal privacy.

Data It Collects

When you browse GuideStar, it captures:

• IP Address: Tracks your connection for general location data.
• Interaction Data: Clicks on nonprofit profiles or donation buttons.
• Browsing Behavior: Pages viewed and time spent on GuideStar.
• Cookie IDs: Uses identifiers to follow your activity across visits.
• User-Agent: Captures browser and device details.
• Page URL: Logs specific nonprofit pages or widgets accessed.
• Timestamps: Records when actions occur.

This data profiles your charitable interests without your consent.

Who Gets Your Data?

Your information is shared with:

• GuideStar’s Internal Team: Uses it for site analytics and engagement metrics.
• Third-Party Analytics Provider: Processes user behavior data.
• Government Entity: Shared if required by law, though specific reports are unavailable.

How to Protect Yourself

Privacy Auditor helps you push back against trackers like this. Try these steps:

• Block Trackers: Use Privacy Auditor’s paid tools to halt widget scripts.
• Use a VPN: Mask your IP with Mullvad to limit location data.
• Clear Cookies: Delete tracking IDs regularly.
• Privacy Browsers: Opt for Firefox with strict settings.

Layer these protections to safeguard your nonprofit browsing.

Sources

• Candid Privacy Policy: https://www.candid.org/privacy-policy

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