Some publishers and providers of scientific information track the search behaviour of users on their websites, create profiles and evaluate the data for their own purposes without the consent of the persons concerned.
How we protect you from data tracking
Authentication technologies used by the University Library for licensed resources do not pass on any personal data to publishers. Our authentication portal eAccess uses a rewrite proxy procedure in which only the IP address of the University Library's eAccess server is transmitted to our business partners.
The institutional login service Shibboleth, another authentication portal used at TUM, offers users the possibilty to check which data is transmitted to service providers; usually this data does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about individuals.
The University Library generally rejects licensing models from publishers or agencies that aim at identifying users or using corresponding technologies.
How you can protect yourself from data tracking
In addition to our authentication procedures (such as eAccess and Shibboleth), many publishers offer personal accounts, e.g. to save settings and research histories.
We recommend avoiding these features if possible, make privacy settings and read the privacy statements of the providers carefully. Most scientific information licensed by the University Library can be accessed without personal accounts with the publishers.
To protect yourself from traditional website data tracking technologies, we recommend to use appropriate features in your browser (e.g. Firefox Enhanced Tracking Protection) and to follow the tips provided by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
