Can email tracking invade your privacy? And how to stop it
Nowadays, we use our emails for everything. From signing up for newsletters to setting up our social media accounts, we enter our email address without second-guessing. But what if we told you that giving out your email address is not as risk-free as you think?
Have you ever stopped to think about what happens to your data when you open an email? The truth is any email you open can be used to track you! Never heard of email tracking? You’re not alone! Keep reading to find out how it works—and more importantly, how you can stop it.Keep the trackers at bay and enhance your online privacy!
By Manar Sadkou
What is email tracking?
Email tracking refers to practices that email senders use to obtain information about recipients when they open their emails. This information can include when the email was opened, where it was opened from, what device was used to open the email, and what links the recipient clicked on.
This technique is commonly used by marketers to build user profiles based on collected data, which is often shared or sold to advertisers. However, they are not the only ones who might be tracking your mail activity. As a matter of fact, anyone can insert trackers into the emails they send you.
How does email tracking work?
If you find yourself now scratching your head wondering how email tracking works, no need to look any further! The answer is there are two common ways in which your emails can be tracked:
Tracking Links: If you click on a link included in a newsletter from your favorite brand, it’s most likely a tracking link, i.e. a URL containing tracking parameters. As soon as you open this link, the sender of the email will not only know that you read their email but also track details such as the exact time you clicked, your IP address, your location, and even the type of device and browser you used. (To learn more about URLs and IP addresses, check out Is a URL the same as a link? And What is my IP address?)
Tracking Pixels: These tiny, single-pixel images are usually invisible to the recipient and can send sensitive information back to the sender. When inserted in an email, a tracking pixel is connected to a tracking software server that lets the sender know when the email has been opened, and may include details like the recipient’s IP address, location, device type, and email client.
Why can email tracking be a privacy concern?
Email tracking may seem harmless on the surface. What is the risk in someone knowing when you open their email, right? But it can be much more invasive than that.
Over time, the data being collected by email trackers grows into a whole digital profile tied to your email address. Your email activity is linked across multiple platforms to create a detailed picture of your online and offline life. Then, your data can be accessed not only by the marketer sending you a newsletter but also by completely unrelated companies.
Beyond being a data privacy issue, email tracking can also be a security risk. Your email address most likely doubles as a login for your Facebook account, your Amazon account, or even your bank account, and email addresses get leaked in data breaches all the time.
Believe it or not, there is a lot a determined hacker can do with your email address! Limiting email tracking is not only about safeguarding your privacy but also about protecting your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. To learn more about the potential dangers of using the same email address for multiple logins, take a look at: How multiple email addresses boost your security and What happens when data is hacked?
FYI: Not All Email Tracking is the Same
While email tracking can pose privacy and security risks, it’s important to note that not all companies use it in the same way. Some businesses track emails strictly for internal analytics, without selling or sharing your data with third parties. Legitimate companies also don’t collect highly personal details like your name or date of birth through tracking alone. That said, even if a company doesn’t misuse this data, email tracking still contributes to a growing digital profile tied to your email address. To better protect your privacy, always check a company’s privacy policy before subscribing to its newsletters and, if you have concerns, look for options to opt out of third-party data sharing.
How to detect email tracking?
With everything you’ve read about email tracking so far, you might find yourself eagerly determined to block it or at least limit it as much as you can and that’s a great first step towards protecting your privacy! But, first, you can’t do anything against email tracking if you can’t recognize when you are being tracked. So, if you suspect your email activity is being tracked ask yourself the following questions:
Are there any external images? If the answer is yes, then a tracker might be placed in the email. A lot of email providers won’t show the external image automatically, letting you decide whether you want to open the image or not in case it contains tracking pixels.
Are there any links? Links in marketing emails are usually associated with URL tracking. Generally, it’s not advisable to click any links in emails unless you want the sender to know you read the email. And there is also the danger of phishing links, so, if you decide to open the link anyway, first check if the URL is safe (for more on this, read: How to check if a link you received is dangerous).
Do you notice any unfamiliar email address? Sometimes a third-party service is being used to track you via hidden email addresses or URLs embedded in the email. You can check for that by opening the original message in your email settings by clicking the three dots above any email and selecting show original for Gmail or going to the Files tab and selecting Properties for Outlook. If you find an unfamiliar email address or domain in the email’s metadata, it may indicate that your data is being sent to a third-party tracker.
5 ways to block email tracking and protect data privacy
The good news is your data isn’t fully at the mercy of email trackers and now that you’ve become a pro at detecting email tracking, it’s time for the most important part—how to stop it! Because we want to help, we’ve put together 5 expert tips you can use to keep your data private and block email tracking:
Make sure your automatic image loading is off. As we’ve explained before, one way that trackers can collect your data is through tracking pixels that can be embedded in an image. But unless you choose to see the picture, they can’t track you with it. So, to keep the spy pixels at bay, disable automatic image loading in your email settings. If you are using Gmail, go to Settings > General > Images and select Ask before displaying external images. On Outlook, navigate to Settings > Mail > Message handling and block external images. And for Apple Mail, go to Preferences > Viewing and uncheck Load remote content in messages. Last but not least, mail.com users can go to Settings > Security > External Content and check Deactivate external content in e-mails. Now, you always have the choice of whether you want to see an image or not.
Use an email tracking detector app. Luckily, there are a few third-party apps out there that can actually alert you when your email activity is being tracked. A popular one is Ugly Email. It’s a Chrome and Firefox extension that detects when an email is being tracked and stops it for you. The only downside is this option is only available for Gmail users. For users of other email providers, Trocker can identify and block pixel tracking. Both extensions won’t, however, identify trackers if you're using native email apps or a mobile device to check your email because they only work with desktop browsers.
Don’t click the link. This one might sound a bit obvious but is still very important to mention. Link tracking is the easiest and most widely used method of email tracking out there. It’s always tempting to click on that URL leading you to your favorite retailer’s Christmas sale. But, before you do, it’s worth considering whether you really want any company to have your data. To know for sure that a link will track your activity, hover over it to check if it contains tracking parameters (e.g., "utm_source" or long, unfamiliar URLs). If it does or if you’re unsure, open the sale directly on the retailer’s website to keep your data private.
Opt for an email alias. It might sound like a bizarre concept, but you can go undercover with an alias to hide your real email address from trackers and spammers. To get an alias, there are a few online services you can use like SimpleLogin which generates random email addresses for different accounts, keeping your identity private. In the event that you start receiving unwanted emails because your alias is leaked or sold to spammers, you can easily deactivate it without ever putting your real email address at risk. With a mail.com account, you can also create alias addresses. For more on that, give this a read: What is an email alias?
Consider using a VPN. It stands for Virtual Private Network and can hide your IP address. Anyone using the Internet has a unique Internet Protocol address assigned by their Internet service provider. Think of it like an online home address that helps identify your device among billions of others. From your geographic location to your internet service provider to sometimes even personal details, there is so much this numeric label can reveal about you. By hiding your IP address, VPN services, like NordVPN, make it harder for trackers to locate you and gather personal details based on your online activities. If you’re curious about how VPNs work or if they’re safe to use, check out our explainer: What is a VPN, what does it do, and why might I need one?
Email tracking can be a sneaky way to gather your personal data but we’ve prepared you with several effective methods to protect your privacy. By disabling automatic image loading, using tracking detector apps, avoiding suspicious links, opting for an email alias, and utilizing a VPN, you can take control of your email activity and safeguard your information. Stay proactive about your digital security, and don’t let trackers invade your inbox!
And if you still don’t have a mail.com account, sign up for free today!
