What is browsing data?
Definition
Browsing data is the information your browser and the sites you visit record about your activity online, such as pages visited, search terms, cookies, saved form entries and your IP address.
- Category
- Data
- Also called
- browser data, web browsing data, browsing history data
- Last updated
Browsing data comes from two places. Your own browser keeps some of it on your device: your history, cached files, cookies and autofill entries. The websites, apps and ad networks you use keep the rest on their side: which pages you opened and when. Your IP address and device type go in the log too.
Cookies and similar tools
A cookie is a small text file that a website stores on your computer or phone. The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) explains that it lets the site recognise your device and remember your preferences or past actions. The same rules cover similar technologies, such as Flash cookies, and tracking built into apps on phones and smart TVs.
When browsing data counts as personal data
The ICO says personal data is information that relates to an identifiable person, and that online identifiers such as IP addresses and cookie identifiers can be personal data. So a log of the pages you visited, tied to your cookie ID, can legally be treated like your name or email address.
A typical case: you look at a pair of boots on one site, and for the next week ads for those boots follow you around other sites. That works because a tracker recognised your browser and matched the visit with the rest of your activity.
Why it matters to you
One page view says little. A year of them can show where you live, what you worry about and what you've asked about your health or money. Ad companies and data brokers can join it to your name or email. At that point it isn't anonymous in practice.
Browsing data vs. related terms
- Browser history is only the list of pages saved on your device. Browsing data is wider and includes what sites and trackers hold about you.
- Cookies are one kind of browsing data, not the whole thing.
- Spyware is covert software that tracks your activity without your knowledge. UK rules outlaw it. Ordinary cookies are allowed if the site tells you about them and, for most kinds, asks first.
How to protect yourself
- 1
Clear cookies and history on a schedule
In your browser settings, delete cookies and history regularly, or set the browser to clear them on close. This clears what sits on your device. It doesn't touch what sites already logged.
- 2
Say no to optional cookies
When a cookie banner appears, choose reject or manage options and switch off analytics and advertising cookies. ICO guidance says sites need your clear consent for those. Just carrying on browsing doesn't count.
- 3
Block third-party trackers
Turn on tracker blocking or third-party cookie blocking in your browser. A private window helps for sensitive searches. Neither hides your IP address.
- 4
Remove extensions you don't use
Extensions can read every page you open. Keep only the ones you need, and check which apps can access your device data.
- 5
Remove the profiles built from your data
Serus finds where your personal details are listed by data brokers and people-search sites, and removes them, so browsing activity is harder to tie to your name.
See where your personal data is exposed
Serus finds it on data brokers and people-search sites and removes it.
Frequently asked
Is browsing data personal data?
It can be. The ICO states that online identifiers such as IP addresses and cookie identifiers may be personal data when they relate to an identifiable person. Data that is truly anonymous isn't covered.
Does incognito or private mode delete my browsing data?
A private window stops your browser saving history and cookies on your device after you close it. Websites, your employer, your network and your internet provider can still see your activity.
Do websites need my permission to track me with cookies?
Under UK rules, sites must tell you about cookies, explain what they do and get your consent. The exception is a cookie strictly needed for a service you asked for, like a shopping basket. Other countries have different rules.
Sources
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