www3.doubleclick.net: DoubleClick’s Invasive Ad Tracking

DoubleClick’s tracker, www3.doubleclick.net, under Google, monitors your browsing across websites, collecting data for ad targeting. This invades your privacy by profiling your behavior. Here’s what it does and how to resist.

What Is www3.doubleclick.net?

This domain is part of Google’s DoubleClick ad platform, used to track user activity for personalized advertising. It operates across countless sites. As Privacy Auditors, we’re alarmed by the depth of data collection this enables.

Data It Collects

When you browse sites with DoubleClick integration, it captures:

• IP Address: Links your activity to a physical location.
• Cookie ID: Assigns a unique tracker to follow you across sites.
• Device ID: Identifies your specific device for tracking.
• Browsing History: Logs visited sites for ad relevance.
• Ad Interactions: Records clicks and views on ads.
• User-Agent: Notes browser and OS, like ‘Chrome 122.0’.
• Page URL: Captures pages during ad delivery.
• Timestamps: Marks every event with precise timing.

This builds a comprehensive ad profile tied to your online identity.

Who Gets Your Data?

DoubleClick (Google) shares your information with:

• Internal Ad System: Uses your data for targeted advertising.
• Adtech Company: Real-time bidding partners access geolocation and device ID.
• Third-Party Advertiser: Delivers personalized campaigns.
• Government Entity: Per Google’s 2024 transparency report, complies with over 175,000 requests, sharing IP and ad ID in 80% of U.S. cases.

How to Protect Yourself

Privacy Auditors are committed to defending your digital privacy. Here’s how to block DoubleClick’s tracking:

• Use Tracker Blockers: Install extensions or Privacy Auditor’s service to stop scripts from this domain.
• Mask with a VPN: Hide your IP using a tool like Mullvad.
• Choose Privacy Browsers: Opt for Firefox with strict settings or Tor.
• Disable JavaScript: Block ad scripts, though some content may not load.
• Clear Cookies: Wipe cookies regularly to disrupt tracking.

Combine these defenses to limit DoubleClick’s data collection.

Sources

• Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Google Transparency Report: https://transparencyreport.google.com/

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