The really powerful feature of the web is 'hypertext' - the 'HT' in HTML. In case you don't know, this is the web's ability to link to information anywhere in the world from any web page and is a function used by just about every website. It's used to link to the different pages in a website, to place pictures on a web page, to provide links to other sites with related information and so on almost endlessly. These links can be the ones that you click on, or automatic links to place a picture or play a sound etc. It is the automatic link that the users of web bugs employ to secretly spy on you.
A web bug is a tiny invisible image that is usually only one pixel square and transparent. The chances of you noticing an image like this are extremely remote, unless you inspect the source code of the page, when it is too late because the bug will have done its job by then. When your browser loads the web bug image, the site that delivered it can receive several pieces of information:
The previously-set cookie mentioned above could contain any information you used to register with a site, like name, address, age, interests etc. It is clear that the web bug is a powerful tool and very much able to violate your personal privacy without you being aware of what's going on.
The only way I know to defeat web bugs is to use a program called 'The Proxomitron'. Scripts are available for this program that will intercept any image of 1 to 3 pixels square, and other parameters can be added to intercept particular Bugs. I use two scripts; a general one and a second one to intercept a slightly different link on a particular website that I regularly access.
See my links page for software mentioned here.
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