Tracking the Trackers
Google Chrome is my usual go-to internet browser. I was not able to find information on how long Google keeps cookies from third parties. However, there are ways to change the settings so that cookies from certain sets are blocked or to have Google automatically delete all cookies by default when you close your browser.
The usual websites that I visit (school district email, Facebook, Gmail, Whatsapp Web) did not have many trackers, most had less than 10 connected sites. I was surprised to see that the TWU student portal website had 10 connected websites. When I visited retail sites such as Gap Online or BabiesRUs Online, I noticed a huge jump in the number of connected sites. Gap Online had 27 connected sites and BabiesRUs had over 60 connected sites! In total, I visited 17 websites and had connected with 190 third party sites.
While I realize the importance of protecting my privacy online, I am not too concerned about cookies and trackers. I did clear the cookies in Google in the process of doing this assignment but to be honest, I often enjoy the ads that pop up in my Facebook or Instagram.