Unpacking 'commercial surveillance': The state of tracking

Increasingly stakeholders submit that EU data protection rules jeopardise Europe’s data-driven prosperity and demand targeted weakening of data protection rules. As the debate becomes more polarised, it is more important than ever to establish a baseline for discussions by taking stock of current tracking practices. This briefing illustrates how leading internet companies track users across devices and services. It reviews the latest research and answers questions such as: Do companies track my browsing behaviour? Do phones and apps send data in idle mode? Is my phone listening? Are recent anti-tracking features effective?

A briefing paper (PDF) by the European Parliamentary Research Service EPRS illustrates some of the realities of surveillance in today’s online economy.