Warning- if you go onto the Reform anti-immigration site

I think it must be new. I would have clicked off if I’d seen it when I glanced at their site before the election.

I had a look at the meta-pixel information page that Maerion posted.

First thing that struck me was that it didn't offer any choice to accept or reject cookies; it just said that using the website meant that you agreed to accept their cookies. Isn't that illegal? Or are they under a jurisdiction that doesn't make it illegal?
Anyway, that's a bit of a red herring.

As to meta-pixels, they sound like an absolute godsend for businesses and advertisers, but do they not count as cookies? Does anyone know?

How would you even know that a site had them installed?

What information do they carry and would that information be in a form that could be sold to a third party?
Do they violate data protection law?

So many questions. I must read the Observer article.

I reported Farage to the ICO for his debanking site, which did not have a cookies permission page when that was set up. I’d assumed it would be dodgy in some way, so used a VPN, and when I asked for ‘help’ used one of my junk email addresses. I never heard anything, of course, since that site was also no doubt just for data harvesting or selling.

Bit confused here. How does the “data reveal a person’s political beliefs”? I hate websites that demand I accept cookies and avoid them unless there is something I absolutely want I can’t get elsewhere.
Is this story definitely true WWM2? Where did you find it? I’d like to read more - but not if I have to allow cookies to do so!

25Avalon

Bit confused here. How does the “data reveal a person’s political beliefs”? I hate websites that demand I accept cookies and avoid them unless there is something I absolutely want I can’t get elsewhere.
Is this story definitely true WWM2? Where did you find it? I’d like to read more - but not if I have to allow cookies to do so!

Yes it is and you might whilst you are at it read up about Cambridge Analytica scandal and Farage’s involvement with that. It gives you the full picture of how it all works, but there is masses of reading.

The observer will give you a start today though.

Facebook page about how and why to put meta pixels on your website - www.facebook.com/business/tools/meta-pixel

and on Shopify - www.shopify.com/blog/72787269-relax-advertising-on-facebook-just-got-a-lot-easier#

"Meta pixel at heart of data privacy cases – again
Tiny piece of useful code just can't stop pinging confidential data to Facebook. - techhq.com/2023/07/why-is-the-meta-pixel-at-heart-of-data-privacy-cases/

"What is the Meta Pixel?
The Meta Pixel is a free tracking tool that is embedded in websites and collects users’ browsing information, such as pages viewed, buttons clicked and keywords searched, matching this to the user’s IP address and, in many cases, their Facebook account.
"Observer investigation reveals NHS trusts, mental health charities and police forces sharing sensitive data with Meta via Meta Pixels on their websites." claydenlaw.co.uk/meta-pixels-lessons-to-learn/

The link explains the many ways in which the organisations which include Meta pixels in their websites may be breaking the rules of the GDPR. (The organisations may even be unaware of exactly how the website creators have enabled them to target their advertising so well)

I think I killed a thread. In case anyone suspects me of approving of this underhand method of secretly "marketing", I will add that my post was the result of seeking to find out more about it so as to be on my guard against it - and to enlighten others too.