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Is it illegal to track somebody's IP address without them knowing/consenting?
Anonymous3 views3 answers
I recently bought something online, after the payment had been accepted, and charged, the seller had contacted me via Email. He told me he tracked my IP address, and he was asking a lot of questions about where I lived and whatnot. He knew that I was in the US, which state I was in, and told me that he saw my IP address traveled through other countries (as an added security on my part). His website also did not mention anything about doing this sort of IP sniffing. He is almost refusing to give me the product that I had bought, and all of this came up after the money had been taken out of my account already.
I know in a lot of countries, and states, it is perfectly legal to obtain an IP address, we broadcast them when we go online. But to go so far as to track where it goes? Is this wrong
Just about every website tracks and records IP addresses of folks clicking through their pages. It is usually done for security and site improvement purposes, but some also do it for marketing reasons. Now generally this data is anonymous, unless you registered on the site and allow cookies to provide relevant information. Reputable sites will provide for this in their terms and conditions when you register, thus obtaining your consent for them to do so.
Sounds like your seller was curious about your IP address "traveling" through other countries. To me, this was a red flag for police involvement, since it is a level of sophistication unusual to the typical online seller. Nothing illega about it. If contraband arrives at your door, or you are asked to pick it up somewhere, you may want to consider what might be arriving. If you have worries, see a criminal defense attorney. Say no more on this public web site.
