Security · 14 February 2023
Ubivox and spy pixels
Following the Danish Data Protection Agency's decision concerning Vækstfonden, we have developed two add-ons that solve the spy pixel issue. We also explain what a spy pixel actually is, and how Ubivox really tracks opens and clicks.
Have you also read the ruling on the Danish Data Protection Agency’s (Datatilsynet) supervision of Vækstfonden in Danish and are you concerned about how it affects you?
At Ubivox we have developed two different add-ons that solve the spy pixel “issue”, if it is a challenge for you.
No stats removes all statistics and tracking. The price is DKK 3,600 for implementation and DKK 100 per rolling 30 days.
Generic statistics does not show personally identifiable data in the statistics, which naturally removes a number of statistics and segmentation options, but it gives you an insight into your open and click rates and makes sure that you can still see these while remaining GDPR compliant. The price is DKK 1,200 for implementation and setup on your account and DKK 150 per rolling 30 days.
If you would like to order one of these add-ons, or want to hear more, then contact customer service.
Before you stop using newsletters altogether, we would like to point out that Ubivox collects open and click statistics as standard. In their case, Vækstfonden made a number of unfortunate choices, including not informing recipients about their privacy policy when they signed up for the newsletter. Because of these choices they received serious criticism from the Danish Data Protection Agency.
At Ubivox we are also in dialogue with the Danish Data Protection Agency in order to get a statement on what they recommend. We hope to be able to publish something about it as soon as possible and, in that connection, to advise new and existing customers on what they can do.
Until then we recommend that you update your privacy policy so that it contains information about how you use your newsletters and the data in them, if it does not already contain this information. We also recommend that you include links to your privacy policy at sign-up as well as in the opt-in email, so that recipients are informed about what they are signing up for and consent to the use of data, such as the tracking of opens and clicks.
We are of course also checking with the Danish Data Protection Agency whether it is enough to inform customers about a change to the privacy policy by email, or whether they have to actively confirm their consent again.
At Ubivox we already have a feature for reconfirming consent, so if it comes to that, you are already well equipped for the process.
What is a spy pixel?
A spy pixel is a hidden image that reports back to the newsletter system when an email is opened. This allows the newsletter system to register when a recipient opens an email, and to present it in the statistics for a newsletter.
At Ubivox we do not actually use spy pixels. All images in a newsletter can report back when they are loaded, so even though we do not make use of hidden images for the tracking, the system allows the tracking of opens.
The same goes for links – all links in a newsletter point to the Ubivox service, where we first register the click the recipient has made and then direct the recipient to the page the link points to. Link clicks are also presented in the statistics for a newsletter.