Do hotels track what websites you visit?

Do Hotels Track Your Online Activity?

When you connect to a hotel’s Wi-Fi network, you may wonder if the hotel is tracking your online activity. The answer is generally no, but it depends on the specific policies and practices of the hotel.

During Your Session

While connected to a hotel’s Wi-Fi network, the network administrator can see your browsing history. This is because the network administrator has access to the router logs, which record the IP addresses of devices connected to the network and the websites they visit.

However, this visibility is limited to the duration of your session. Once you disconnect from the Wi-Fi network, your browsing history is no longer visible to the network administrator.

Beyond Your Session

Beyond your session, most hotels do not track your online activity. This is because hotels are generally required to comply with privacy laws that protect the personal information of their guests.

However, some hotels may have policies or contractual arrangements that allow them to track your online activity beyond your session. For example, a hotel may have a partnership with a third-party company that provides Wi-Fi services and has its own tracking policy.

Protecting Your Privacy

If you are concerned about your privacy while using hotel Wi-Fi, there are a few steps you can take:

• Use a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your traffic and hide your browsing history from the network administrator.
• Use a private browsing mode to prevent your browser from saving your browsing history.
• Be cautious about logging into websites using personal credentials while connected to a hotel Wi-Fi network.

Conclusion

In general, hotels do not track your online activity beyond your session. However, it is important to be aware of the privacy policies and practices of the hotel you are staying at and to take appropriate steps to protect your privacy if necessary.