embeds and privacy

  • luckybet

    (@luckybet)


    3 years ago

    WordPress suggests the following text for privacy notices:
    “Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
    These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.”

    Does that mean that by going to an essay on my website that includes links to other websites the links themselves act to collect data on my users? Or is it only when readers click on a link and go to that site. The text is unclear.

    Thank you!

    • This topic was modified 3 years ago by luckybet.

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Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • Plugin Author Matthias Kittsteiner

    (@kittmedia)

    Hi @luckybet,

    I think you misunderstood what an embed actually is. If you just add a link in a post and it stays a plain link, where you have to actively click on it to load the content behind the link, it’s not an embed and thus nothing will be loaded from the linked content when you visit the post.

    An embed is another webpage embedded in your website, which shows content of another webpage directly on load, e. g. an embedded YouTube video in your post.

    Additionally: Please keep in mind that Embed Privacy is just a plugin to add a layer on top of embeds and prevent them from being loaded initially during your post loads. It does not belong to WordPress and we haven’t anything to do with your mentioned quote.

    Best regards,
    Matthias

    Thread Starter luckybet

    (@luckybet)

    Thank you so much, Matthias. You’re right, I did misunderstand. So now, to be really clear, if I embed a youtube video, for example, being on the page on my website is the same as being on that page on youtube as far as data collection is concerned? I’ve only done such an embed twice in over 100 essays, so it’s not a huge deal, but I’m writing my privacy policy and want to be sure it’s correct.

    Plugin Author Matthias Kittsteiner

    (@kittmedia)

    Yes, correctly.

    A side note: If you provide content for users in the European Union, the GDPR applies and thus you would need to have a two click solution as Embed Privacy provides.

    Thread Starter luckybet

    (@luckybet)

    The plugin looks like a good idea even though I seldom use embedded videos. It’s not updated to my version of WP, though.

    Thanks again,
    Betsey

    Plugin Author Matthias Kittsteiner

    (@kittmedia)

    It also runs fine in WordPress 5.8. ??

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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