Third-Party Tracking vs Server-Side Tracking

Developers should understand third-party tracking to implement compliant data collection systems, especially under regulations like GDPR or CCPA, and to build privacy-focused applications meets developers should use server-side tracking when handling sensitive data, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations like gdpr or ccpa, or when client-side tracking is blocked by ad blockers or browser restrictions. Here's our take.

Third-Party Tracking

Nice Pick

Developers should understand third-party tracking to implement compliant data collection systems, especially under regulations like GDPR or CCPA, and to build privacy-focused applications

Pros

• It's essential for roles involving ad tech, analytics platforms, or web development where user data handling is critical
• Related to: cookies, gdpr-compliance

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Server-Side Tracking

Developers should use server-side tracking when handling sensitive data, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR or CCPA, or when client-side tracking is blocked by ad blockers or browser restrictions

Pros

• It's particularly valuable for e-commerce platforms, financial applications, and any system requiring high data integrity, as it reduces data loss from client-side issues and provides more reliable attribution
• Related to: data-privacy, web-analytics

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Third-Party Tracking is a concept while Server-Side Tracking is a methodology. We picked Third-Party Tracking based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Third-Party Tracking wins

Based on overall popularity. Third-Party Tracking is more widely used, but Server-Side Tracking excels in its own space.