Do you really know what your website is sharing? The hidden risks of third-party tracking

Your website could be sharing more data than you realise 

Every marketer wants to understand what’s working. 

We use analytics to measure performance, optimise campaigns and make better decisions. Over time, we add tools, pixels and integrations to help us understand customer behaviour. 

But do we know exactly what information our websites are collecting and who they’re sharing it with? 

A recent investigation by Australia’s privacy regulator suggests that the answer isn’t always yes. And that creates a challenge for organisations that depend on reliable data to make confident decisions. 

What Australia’s investigation revealed 

In June 2026, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) published findings from an investigation into tracking technologies on healthcare websites. 

Its inspection of 50 websites revealed that: 

• 96% used tracking technologies. 

• 52% used third-party tracking pixels. 

• Among websites using third-party pixels, 77% didn’t mention them in their privacy policies. 

But one of the most revealing findings was about how little visibility some organisations had over the tracking technologies deployed on their websites. 

The regulator described a healthcare provider that discovered 50 unnecessary tracking pixels on its website following an audit. The organisation hadn’t been aware of all the pixels or the information being shared with external platforms. 

How did this happen? Over time, external providers had added analytics and advertising technologies to the website. As tools accumulated, oversight became more difficult. 

It’s a scenario that marketing teams in many industries could recognise. 

The hidden complexity of modern marketing technology 

Tracking technologies are often implemented for legitimate reasons: A marketing team wants to measure conversions, an agency adds an advertising pixel, or a new platform introduces another integration. 

Collectively, these technologies can create a complicated ecosystem of data collection and sharing. There can be multiple consequences: 

Information may be shared with external platforms 

Third-party tracking pixels can transmit information about page visits, interactions, technical identifiers and other website activity. 

Depending on the website and configuration, that information may reveal more about an individual than expected. 

Teams can lose visibility over their data flows 

Marketing, IT, analytics and privacy teams may have different responsibilities and different levels of access to tracking configurations. 

Without clear ownership, technologies can remain active long after their original purpose has disappeared. 

Data collection can become disconnected from business value 

More tracking doesn’t automatically mean more useful insights. Collecting information without a clear purpose can introduce complexity and privacy risks without improving decision-making. 

Why data visibility matters for marketing performance 

If you don’t understand how your data is collected, where it comes from or what it represents, how confidently and effectively can you use it to guide decisions? 

Reliable measurement requires an understanding of the underlying data collection process. 

That means knowing: 

• Which events and interactions you’re measuring. 

• Whether your implementation is configured correctly. 

• What data is being shared with external providers. 

• Which limitations or gaps may affect your analysis. 

Confidence in your decisions starts with confidence in your data. 

Five steps to regain control of your tracking setup 

1. Audit the technologies running on your website 

Identify analytics scripts, advertising pixels, tag managers and other tracking technologies. Don’t assume that every active integration is still necessary. 

2. Map where your data goes 

Document which information is collected, where it is transmitted and which providers receive it. Pay particular attention to sensitive pages and form interactions. 

3. Assign clear ownership 

Make sure marketing, IT and privacy teams understand who is responsible for deploying, reviewing and removing tracking technologies. 

4. Review what you actually need to measure 

Start with your business objectives. Which data helps you understand performance and make decisions? Which data is being collected without a clear purpose? 

5. Choose analytics tools that support transparency and control 

Evaluate whether your measurement setup allows you to configure data collection, minimise unnecessary information, control access and manage retention. If you’re comparing platforms, use our Web Analytics Buyer’s Guide to assess these requirements, ask vendors the right questions and compare your options using a weighted scoring matrix. 

How Matomo supports greater control over web analytics 

At Matomo, we believe organisations should be able to understand their digital performance while maintaining control over their analytics data. Matomo supports this through: 

1. Data ownership: Matomo provides Cloud and On-Premise deployment options, giving organisations flexibility over how their analytics environment is managed. 

2. Privacy-conscious measurement: Configurable features such as IP anonymisation, cookieless tracking options and data retention controls help organisations implement analytics around their privacy requirements. 

3. Reliable reporting: Matomo provides unsampled analytics reports, helping teams analyse digital performance without introducing sampling limitations. 

4. Greater independence: Organisations can use Matomo for their core website analytics without relying exclusively on advertising platforms for performance measurement. 

However, using Matomo doesn’t automatically identify or remove unrelated third-party pixels. A comprehensive tracking audit remains essential. 

Better analytics starts with understanding your data 

The Australian investigation is a reminder that organisations can accumulate tracking technologies without maintaining adequate oversight. 

For marketers, what matters isn’t getting more data for the sake of it, but collecting information you understand, can trust and can use responsibly. 

Take greater control of your web analytics 

Discover an analytics platform designed around data ownership, privacy and reliable measurement:  

Try Matomo for free