What trackers are and how they follow you
Trackers are small pieces of code and identifiers that help companies recognize you as you move from site to site — often without a clear “I agree” moment for every hop.
Cookies, pixels, and scripts
Third-party cookies and tracking pixels are classic tools: a site loads a tiny image or script from an ad or analytics company, which then records that you visited. Over time that company builds a trail of where you have been.
Many trackers also run as JavaScript that phones home with page titles, referrers, and device details. You see a normal page; behind the scenes a network of companies receives a stream of events.
Fingerprinting and cross-site linking
When cookies are limited, trackers lean on fingerprinting — combining browser version, fonts, screen size, and other signals into a likely-unique ID. It is less precise than a login, but good enough for advertising and fraud systems.
Logged-in widgets (social buttons, chat embeds, payment frames) can also link activity across sites under one account. Blocking common tracker domains cuts many of these paths without breaking the sites you actually want to use.
What blocking actually does
A privacy extension and filtered DNS stop known tracker and malware domains before they load. You still browse; the silent passengers get fewer free rides.
Blocking is not the same as deleting every company database. It reduces new collection and pairs well with rights requests when you want old data erased or exported.
Ready to put this into practice? Continue with a short next step — no hard sell.
How Personal Shield blocks trackersAlso see Help center, How we protect you, and Plans.