Data Analysis
Website Data Sharing

About This Research
We conducted an extensive analysis of data sharing practices across major websites in 20 countries. Our research focused on understanding how websites share user data with third-party partners and advertising vendors, aiming to provide transparency into modern web tracking practices.
Key Findings
Study Scope
- Analyzed top 100 websites across 20 countries
- 2,000 total websites examined
- Focus on cookie notices and privacy policies
Data Sharing Range
- Partners ranged from 1 to 1,534
- Lowest: Tesco.com (UK) - 1 partner
- Highest: LSE.co.uk (UK) - 1,534 partners
- German websites had lowest average (192 partners)
Methodology
For each website, we:
- Used a VPN to access from the target country
- Waited for cookie/privacy notices
- Recorded number of potential data sharing partners
- Analyzed default sharing settings
Geographic Coverage
Our study initially covered: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.
Unfortunately we found that outside of the UK and the EU websites were less transparent about the number of 3rd parties they were sharing data with. Either it was not listed, or it was hidden too far into the site. As there was not enough data for those we decided to exclude them from the current version of this report.
Average Number of Partners by Country
Data Sharing Partners by Country
Country ↕ | Average Partners ↕ | Max Partners ↕ | Min Partners ↕ |
---|---|---|---|
Germany | 192 | 850 | 8 |
Netherlands | 221 | 847 | 30 |
France | 281 | 880 | 19 |
Belgium | 285 | 884 | 28 |
Ireland | 344 | 1463 | 23 |
Sweden | 345 | 1470 | 23 |
United Kingdom | 357 | 1534 | 1 |
Italy | 606 | 1465 | 12 |
Poland | 609 | 1271 | 29 |
Spain | 706 | 1463 | 6 |
The data reveals significant variations in data sharing practices across European countries:
- Germany has the lowest average (192 partners), followed by the Netherlands (221) and France (281)
- Poland and Southern European countries show higher sharing rates, with Spain averaging 706 partners
- The UK presents extreme contrasts, from the study's lowest (1 partner) to its highest (1,534 partners)
Top Data Sharing Websites
Website | Country | Partners |
---|---|---|
lse.co.uk | United Kingdom | 1534 |
allabolag.se | Sweden | 1470 |
mirror.co.uk | United Kingdom | 1465 |
liberoquotidiano.it | Italy | 1465 |
express.co.uk | United Kingdom | 1465 |
quotidiano.net | Italy | 1465 |
filmaffinity.com | Spain | 1463 |
mrkoll.se | Sweden | 1463 |
entertainment.ie | Ireland | 1463 |
eliteprospects.com | Sweden | 1463 |
tvguia.es | Spain | 1462 |
o2.pl | Poland | 1271 |
dailymail.co.uk | United Kingdom | 1269 |
medonet.pl | Poland | 1199 |
dailymail.co.uk | Ireland | 1181 |
lubimyczytac.pl | Poland | 1011 |
se.pl | Poland | 1011 |
eltiempo.es | Spain | 974 |
elmundo.es | Spain | 963 |
marca.com | Spain | 963 |
Looking at the websites with the highest number of data sharing partners, some categories stand out:
- News & Media: UK and Italian news sites feature prominently (Mirror, Express, Daily Mail) with 1,200+ partners each
- Business Directories: Sites like LSE.co.uk and Allabolag.se with 1,400+ partners
- Entertainment: TV guides, sports sites (TVGuia.es, Marca.com), and entertainment portals
Variations in Data Sharing
Consistent Global Sharing
Some major platforms maintain consistent data sharing across all countries:
IMDB.com
Country | Partners |
---|---|
Germany | 103 |
Italy | 103 |
Netherlands | 103 |
Sweden | 103 |
United Kingdom | 103 |
Spotify.com
Country | Partners |
---|---|
Belgium | 95 |
Germany | 95 |
Ireland | 95 |
Italy | 95 |
Netherlands | 95 |
Spain | 95 |
Sweden | 95 |
United Kingdom | 95 |
Regional Variations
Other websites adjust their data sharing based on location:
Leukerecepten.nl
Country | Partners |
---|---|
Belgium | 168 |
Netherlands | 253 |
dailymail.co.uk
Country | Partners |
---|---|
Ireland | 1181 |
United Kingdom | 1269 |
Tesco's Single Partner
In the UK, Tesco.com stood out for asking permission to share data with just one partner:


Coming Soon
Some more data around the options for consent was not quite ready to include in this report. We will add this when it is. These additional findings should be applicable to all countries in the study, not just the EU + UK.