Following a discussion about Google Analytics

[pseudomonas]

Poll #14622 Google Analytics

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 26

So, Google Analytics and other similar web-bug technology:

I don't care who knows that I've visited any web page
6 (25.0%)

I don't want everyone to know, but I don't mind Google or Quantcast or Facebook or whoever knowing which pages I've visited when (because I trust them to deal appropriately with the data)
3 (12.5%)

I don't like Google or Quantcast or Facebook or whoever knowing which pages I visit when
15 (62.5%)

Furthermore:

I take steps to try and block at least some web trackers
12 (46.2%)

I don't try and block web trackers, because, as I just said, I don't mind the people operating the trackers knowing which pages I've been viewing
4 (15.4%)

I don't try and block web trackers, because I don't think any of the options are effective enough
3 (11.5%)

I don't try and block web trackers, because I'm mainly worried about my government tracking my activity (e.g. via my ISP)
1 (3.8%)

I don't try and block web trackers, because I don't trust the software that purports to do so / don't use closed-source software
1 (3.8%)

I don't try and block web trackers, because my OS/browser won't support the relevant technology.
0 (0.0%)

I don't try and block web trackers because I wasn't aware of them / wasn't aware of software that blocks them / haven't got round to it
3 (11.5%)

I think that I'm mainly safe from such trackers (e.g. because I only use text-mode browsing)
0 (0.0%)

Something else, which I will explain in comments
2 (7.7%)

Comments

[crazyscot]

Ghostery plugin for the win.

[sparrowsion]

Given where the bulk of my employers' business comes from, I feel it rather hypocritical to engage in tracker- or ad-blocking. (Pop-up blocking is a different matter.) Plus which, I do think that government surveillance is more of a concern than commercial tracking.

[liv]

My answers are a bit contradictory, because none of your radio options quite fits. I don't in principle care who knows that I visit web-pages, but I do (attempt to) block Google and Facebook. It's partly the difference between "anyone" knowing and "everyone" knowing. It's completely fine by me if website owners track my visits so they can measure how effective their website is, and it's completely fine by me if they outsource the tracking to Google, advertisers or a specialist analytics company. What I do care about is when these companies start aggregating the data and attaching it to my identity, and particularly when they start effectively broadcasting the aggregated data. This is why I'm annoyed with Facebook and Google, because they will tell the world that I endorse everything I ever browse if I don't spend a lot of effort guarding against that happening.

[sunflowerinrain]

I don't mind most people knowing, but not Google, FB, etc. because what they do with the information really annoys me.