93% of Adult Websites Share User Data with Third Parties

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Microsoft have analyzed 22,484 adult websites and found that 93% of them share user data with third parties, such as advertising companies and web analytics providers. Notably, using private browsing mode does not help maintain privacy. Additionally, about 45% of the analyzed domains potentially revealed users’ sexual preferences through their URLs.

Tracking by Major Tech Companies

The study found that some major tech companies, including Facebook and Google, have embedded tracking code on most popular adult websites. A concerning issue is that these sites often do not inform users about online trackers in their privacy policies.

As a result, people visiting adult websites—even in private browsing mode—have a “false sense of privacy,” according to the report. “It’s a significant risk for users when such personal information is accessible without their consent and could potentially be used against them,” the experts warn.

Google and Facebook Respond

Although Google trackers were found on 74% of adult websites, the company denies using this information for advertising purposes. According to Google representatives, Google Ads does not operate on adult sites, so users should not worry about personalized ads based on their sexual preferences. Facebook, whose trackers were found on 10% of adult websites, also denies tracking users on these sites.

Scope of Tracking and Encryption

The researchers found that 93% of sites shared data with third parties, 79% had third-party cookies (most commonly used for tracking), and only 17% of sites were encrypted. In total, the experts identified 230 companies tracking users, including Oracle, whose trackers appeared on 24% of the sites.

These trackers are almost impossible to detect without specialized software. Only 17% of adult websites warned users about tracking, and even then, the warnings were often hidden behind confusing legal language.

How to Protect Your Privacy

To protect against tracking, researchers recommend that users install ad blockers or similar privacy-focused technologies when browsing the internet. Private browsing mode will not prevent tracking; it only removes traces from your local browser history.