Can an e-mail cookie track you across the Internet?

[JorgeA]

I just read the following on this website dedicated to covering Microsoft Office products, in a discussion of Outlook:

The privacy implications of cookies are well known for browsers but not well appreciated for emails. With a cookie, a company can track your web usage from the moment you display images in an email.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I read that as a suggestion that cookies embedded in the e-mail that we get from vendors can enable those vendors to track where we go on the Web.

Is that right, or is it FUD? I find it hard to believe, but am not sure that's it's wrong. Would this apply only to sites you visit that have their ads on them?

I do know that downloading images to an e-mail circular is used to tell the vendor's servers that you've viewed their e-mail ad, but is it the case that it can also help them to follow you around the Web?

Anybody have insight on these questions?

Thanks.

--JorgeA

Edited July 20, 2013 by JorgeA

[allen2]

It is true if you read the html email that can contain linked image from a remote website thus still using web server to track your usage just like when you open the same web page from a web browser.

There are a lot of other applications doing the same things.

Many other applications doesn't use cookies but also "spy" the times you use their application using the "checking for newer version" feature.

[Shayne]

I don't think it can track your web browsing. They can track if you downloaded the pictures on their email. But that's it I think.

Edit: Oops... This topic is 3 months old... I never noticed that....

Edited October 25, 2013 by Shayne