# Research & Reports ## [Big Data, Not Big Brother: New Data Protection Laws and the Implications for Independent Media Around the World (2019)](https://www.cima.ned.org/publication/big-data-not-big-brother/) – AYDEN FÉRDELINE For years, the road to news media financial sustainability was said to be paved with data—digital news outlets were counseled to collect as many details about their readers as possible in order to deliver more relevant content as well as to support more lucrative, targeted advertising. Yet, more recently, citizens and policymakers alike have grown concerned about the pervasive tracking of web users. This has led to a new wave of data protection laws and regulations worldwide that seek to empower people and curtail the excessive collection of personal data. * New analysis of the user tracking practices of 50 independent news sites in 10 developing countries. * 92 percent of digital media outlets analyzed employed third-party tracking devices. * Over 150 unique companies are monitoring website visitors on the media outlets analyzed. Many of these operate in an opaque manner and do not disclose for whom they are collecting data. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://policy-advocacy.gfmd.info/resources/internet-governance/data-protection-and-privacy/research-and-reports.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.