Data & Analytics Wednesday - User Tracking Technology

User Tracking Technology and the Browser

There may be hundreds of different analytics platforms out there, but there’s only a handful of ways that these tools identify visitors who don’t identify themselves. There are only four basic method that analytics tools use to track anonymous visitors:

1. Cookies
2. IP address and User-Agent (IP+UA)
3. Browser Fingerprinting
4. HTTP referrer

But just one of these methods — cookies — is based upon a technology being used as designed!

When and why are methods other than cookies used?

Are there security concerns with some of these methods?

If I use something other than cookies does it affect how I ask for consent?

After Jason Packer discusses the basics of these methods, Piotr Słonina from Piwik PRO will talk about the different ways these can be used in Piwik PRO and how these choices tie into consent and server-side setups.

NOTE: while we will be discussing this technology in the context of Piwik PRO, the talk overall will be platform agnostic.

If you want to learn more about Piwik PRO in detail, please register for our Piwik PRO seminar happening the following day!

All CBUSDAW events are free thanks to our 2025 Sponsors: Clarivoy, Conductrics, What Box Consulting Group, and Piwik PRO.

Check out cbusdaw.com for more information.