Library and Information Science Commons^™

Hidden Online Surveillance: What Librarians Should Know To Protect Their Privacy And That Of Their Patrons, Alexandre Fortier, Jacquelyn Burkell

FIMS Publications

Librarians have a professional responsibility to protect the right to access information free from surveillance. This right is at risk from a new and increasing threat: the collection and use of non-personally identifying information such as IP addresses through online behavioral tracking. This paper provides an overview of behavioral tracking, identifying the risks and benefits, describes the mechanisms used to track this information, and offers strategies that can be used to identify and limit behavioral tracking. We argue that this knowledge is critical for librarians in two interconnected ways. First, librarians should be evaluating recommended websites with respect to behavioral …