Web Beacons

Introduction

What technology is being used to send a read state to the web server that you have read a particular message on Google Chat and Whatsapp web? It is web beacons, lets learn more about them.
A web beacon is a small object, usually a 1x1 gif or a script, used to send information from the user back to the web server. Beacons generally send information from the user to the web server for statistical purposes. It is used to collect metrics from the users’ browsers. It is also used for tasks other than statistical ones.

History

GIFs were the main type of beacons in older times, the gif was very small and it was downloaded to the user’s computer automatically, resulting in the user’s GET request to the web server. The GET request sent some information about the user and some performance metrics.

Where is it used

• It is used to collect performance statistics from users
• It is also used to collect data from users to train machine learning models, like google and Facebook
• It is also used in WhatsApp blue ticks, when you view a message from someone else, the beacon is sent to the server carrying the information about the user and about the reading of the message.
• It is used in emails, when a user reads an email, the beacon is sent to the server saying that the user has read the email