Privacy Risks of Third-Party Services on Women's Shelter Websites

Women's shelters usually operate with a commitment to confidentiality to protect the privacy and safety of the help-seeking individuals. In today's digital age, this principle also extends to their websites, highlighting the importance of online visitors' privacy. This study discusses the potential negative outcomes of using third-party analytics services on websites of the women's shelters, conducted by analyzing the contents of web requests made to third parties and how they jeopardize the user privacy. The results show that 95.5% of the studied websites leak visitors' personal data, such as IP addresses, and device identifiers. Along with these identifying details, the current website URL is also leaked, potentially revealing the user's intent to seek help. Consequently, detailed profiles of violence victims could be created by third parties. The study also offers recommendations to protect the confidential personal data of vulnerable individuals seeking support.