AdGuard annual ad tracker report sneak peek – key trends
As 2024 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the global state of ad trackers. These tiny but persistent and pernicious requests follow us across the web. They inform advertisers about our browsing behavior allowing them to bombard us with intrusive ads wherever we go.
It’s not just about the ads, though. By collecting data on our browsing habits, advertisers can also share this information with third parties — these could include other advertising networks, marketers, or even data brokers who aggregate and sell this information. This way these valuable and potentially compromising insights into your online life can end up in the hands of your insurance provider, loan institutions, car dealerships, and what not. Despite growing awareness and the increasing use of ad-blocking solutions, the share of ad tracking requests in global internet traffic continues to rise.
Below we provide key takeaways from our upcoming global ad tracker report to be released in early January.
Ad trackers on the rise
Globally, ad trackers now make up 7.84% of all web traffic, an increase from 2023. Although the change seems small, the trend is concerning. Ad trackers now contribute to a larger proportion of global traffic, and their presence is only growing, especially when considering “hidden” trackers that proliferate once the initial ad tracker is loaded.
Regional insights
Europe saw a sharp increase in ad tracker share, especially in countries like Greece, where numbers skyrocketed to nearly 10%. Northern Europe remains a bright spot, with quite a few countries showing a decrease in tracker share.
Asia continues to show extremes, with China at just over 2% and Uzbekistan at nearly twice the global average. Other countries like India (12%) and South Korea (10%) remain high, while Southeast Asia maintains relatively lower numbers, though on the rise.
The Americas show a similar split. In North America, the US and Canada hover just below the global average, while Cuba’s tracker share shot up to over 11%. In Latin America, most countries have seen tracker shares climb, with Brazil and Colombia around the global average.
Africa mirrors Asia’s patterns, with some countries like Djibouti reaching over 11%, while others, like Senegal, managed significant declines.
Widening gap
One of the key trends observed in 2024 is the growing divide between tracker-heavy and tracker-light regions. Almost all the “leaders” of 2023 have gained even more percentage ponts in 2024. Uzbekistan leads with almost twice the global average, while China remains the lowest.
What’s next?
The continuing rise in ad tracker traffic is a worrying trend that shows no signs of slowing.
Our full annual report, with more in-depth analysis and detailed country-level insights complete with interactive maps, will be released in January 2025.
Stay tuned to see how the global landscape continues to evolve.
