Wordle is reportedly now filled with secret ad trackers
Third-party ad trackers have been discovered on Wordle’s new website
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Following itsrecent acquisition of Wordle,The New York Timeshas apparently added ad trackers to the hit web-based word game.
The news outlet acquiredWordlefor a ‘low’ seven figure sum and the game has now joinedThe New York TimesCrossword and the rest of its online games. However, unlike Vertex, Spelling Bee, Tiles and its Crossword, Wordle can still be played for free without a subscription.
When Jason Worlde first launched his onlineword gameback in October of last year, it was completely free and ran on its own website. After being purchased though,The New York Timeschanged its web address. The news outlet has also since added ad trackers according to software engineer and architect Ben Adida who examined how the game is being deployed by its new owner andshared his findingson Twitter.
Third-party ad trackers
The addition of ad trackers to Wordle that send user data to third party companies includingGoogleand Oracle isn’t that surprising.
These days almost all major websites (even this one) use ad trackers for personalization and to servetargeted adsto users but part of the initial appeal of Wordle is that it was completely non-profit without any paid extras.
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The ad trackers added to Wordle may be part ofThe New York Times' plan to recoup some of the money it spent acquiring the game in the first place. However, it could eventually end up being part of the news outlet’s online game collection and locked behind a subscription.
Still though, there is no warning that ad trackers are present on the new Wordle site but companies rarely warn users that they’re being tracked online.The New York Times' main site also contains plenty of ad trackers, so their addition could just be the result of Wordle now being hosted on the company’sdomain.
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In a statement toTechRadar Proa spokesperson forThe New York Timespointed out that this is indeed the case, saying:
“Wordle, which is now hosted on The Times’s domain, has the same privacy rules as other Times properties, including our other games. While The Times tracks less than what is standard for the industry, we are constantly looking to improve privacy across our digital properties. We’re also working on an array of solutions to better industry practices.”
ViaMetro
After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.
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