Hidden Agents and Threats to Privacy
An Analysis of Hotjar at the Brazilian Startup QuintoAndar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30962/e-comps.3231Keywords:
Privacy, Trackers, Cookies, NeomaterialismAbstract
This study examines the collection of personal data by the Hotjar tool on the QuintoAndar website, raising questions about the ethical and legal implications of this practice. The objective is to analyze how user monitoring through cookies and scripts aligns with stated transparency policies. Using a neo-materialist methodology, the study focuses on the role of hidden agents that direct navigation to collect digital footprints. It is concluded that this practice constitutes a facet of surveillance capitalism, representing a risk to users' privacy rights in the digital environment.
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