In today's digital age, privacy is more important than ever. With the rise of technology and the Internet, we've become increasingly dependent on the Web for everything from communication to entertainment. Unfortunately, as we spend more time online, we're also leaving a digital footprint that can be tracked, monitored, and used for various purposes. This is where web trackers come in.

The Internet's digital stalkers

Web trackers are small pieces of code placed on websites to track user activity. They can be used for a variety of purposes, including targeted advertising, analytics, and even data mining. While some trackers can be beneficial, many are used for nefarious purposes and can compromise our privacy.

One of the biggest concerns with web trackers is that they can collect a significant amount of personal information about users. This data can be used to profile individuals and target them with specific ads or content. In addition, trackers can also be used to monitor users' browsing habits, which can be used to target them with unwanted or misleading information.

Imgur & Gyazo: Privacy is not a priority

Imgur and Gyazo are two popular image hosting platforms that have been found to be infested with web trackers. According to Blacklight, Imgur's site contains a whopping 23 ad trackers and 99 third-party cookies, while Gyazo's site contains 4 ad trackers and 13 third-party cookies. For comparison, that's more than Amazon, a company known for privacy violations.

From Imgur's privacy policy:

We also provide automatically collected anonymous data to third party advertisers and analytics companies to supplement the tracking information described below

From Gyazo's privacy policy:

We may share, however, aggregated demographic information with our business partners and advertisers. Moreover, the Helpfeel Inc. Sites, Products and Services may display targeted advertisements based on Personal Information.

Imgur and Gyazo's privacy policies state that they collect and share anonymous data with third-party advertising and analytics companies. This means that they collect information about users' online activities and use it to target them with ads or provide analytics to other companies.

In the case of Imgur, they specifically mention that they supplement the tracking information they collect with anonymous data provided to third-party advertisers and analytics companies. This means that they collect data about users' online activity and combine it with data from other sources to create a more detailed profile of users' behavior, which is then used to target advertising.

Similarly, Gyazo mentions that they share aggregated demographic information with their business partners and advertisers. Aggregate information refers to data that has been grouped together and does not identify individual users. However, it can still provide insight into user behavior, preferences and habits.

Meet Horizon: The privacy file sharing platform

Just because two of the most popular file-sharing platforms grossly violate your privacy doesn't mean all of them have to. Horizon takes a different approach. Instead of trying to track you around the web to profit from your information, Horizon takes steps to protect it. With Horizon, you can upload pictures, videos, and other files and share them online using secure links. We don't sell your data or use third-party metrics, and we give users the tools they need to keep their data secure.

Does that sound too good to be true? Well, luckily, it isn't. Give Horizon a try today, it's only $5, no subscription required.