Read on Twitter
for a start, here is how it works
- a transparent gif is added to most bits of marketing email that are sent
- this gif is unique to each recipient (it's not really a gif technically, it's a unique url that returns a gif)
- when the gif is downloaded the sending tool records it
- a transparent gif is added to most bits of marketing email that are sent
- this gif is unique to each recipient (it's not really a gif technically, it's a unique url that returns a gif)
- when the gif is downloaded the sending tool records it
that means marketers can theoretically track:
- who opened
- how many times (tho lots of sending tools don't differentiate)
- what device was used (again, sending tools)
- IP address and in theory therefore rough location
- who opened
- how many times (tho lots of sending tools don't differentiate)
- what device was used (again, sending tools)
- IP address and in theory therefore rough location
So the article — this reads a lot like a press release for Hey. It's mostly true, but also not really the story.
For a start, tracking gifs are just a bit twee compared to the huge amount of tracking and analysis that happens on websites. They're just not that good.
If anything, marketers over-egg their significance — it's a signal, but not a perfect one. It's a download of an image.
If anything, marketers over-egg their significance — it's a signal, but not a perfect one. It's a download of an image.
But that is whataboutism really, so let's stick with email privacy.
The far bigger issue is free email clients that scan your email's contents and use that for profile building purposes.
Ever notice how Amazon email receipts don't tell you the products you ordered any more?
The far bigger issue is free email clients that scan your email's contents and use that for profile building purposes.
Ever notice how Amazon email receipts don't tell you the products you ordered any more?
They mention Superhuman. That was taking this tech and putting it in the hands of personal email. For marketers, whether you opened an email is usually an aggregate metric. At best it's used to change follow up content.
Personal email knowing whether you read is lots more shady
Personal email knowing whether you read is lots more shady
Tbh, I've worked with this enough to see that marketers tracking what you do isn't the biggest issue or risk right now. If anything, they're too busy/not interested to care.
But our industry could do more to not look suspicious here. Email marketers are an easy target IMO
But our industry could do more to not look suspicious here. Email marketers are an easy target IMO
For more — I had a chat with @dylanatsmith @iamacyborg + @emailjay_ about this, you can hear it here
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0yAV6sDljV2FzehwW26YRU
https://www.emailtalk.fm/episodes/06-privacy-round-table-w-dylan-smith-jacques-corby-tuech-jay-oram
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0yAV6sDljV2FzehwW26YRU https://www.emailtalk.fm/episodes/06-privacy-round-table-w-dylan-smith-jacques-corby-tuech-jay-oram
^ opinions mine etc for all of this.
just spent 5 mins on the web and I'm getting retargetted ads everywhere for something I already bought yesterday from the same vendor. The world continues on.
addendum as there was a lot of chat on this yesterday —
Some examples came up where raw email addresses were being passed via URL strings in analytics services. Don't do this - do things like hashed user IDs if you must (and ask your providers to do that also
)
Some examples came up where raw email addresses were being passed via URL strings in analytics services. Don't do this - do things like hashed user IDs if you must (and ask your providers to do that also
)
this sort of thing is explicitly banned in tools like Google Analytics for good reason
also some background on Google positioning their snooping your gmail as an actual service 
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/gmail-google-tracks-online-shopping
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/gmail-google-tracks-online-shopping
and lastly, I should have leant into this more in hindsight -
There is a big opportunity here for the right ESPs (sending tools) to give privacy supporting tools to marketers/brands that want to take a privacy-first stance on this. It's hard for marketers to do this alone.
There is a big opportunity here for the right ESPs (sending tools) to give privacy supporting tools to marketers/brands that want to take a privacy-first stance on this. It's hard for marketers to do this alone.
