Affiliate Program

A marketing arrangement where businesses reward affiliates for driving traffic or sales through the affiliate's marketing efforts, typically tracked through unique links or codes. In privacy terms, affiliate programs create complex data sharing relationships. When users click affiliate links, data flows between the affiliate, the merchant, the affiliate network (if used), and often third-party tracking services. This typically includes online identifiers, referral URLs, device information, and sometimes purchase data. Companies running affiliate programs must clearly disclose these data sharing practices, ensure affiliates operate compliant tracking technologies, and maintain data processing agreements with affiliates when required. Affiliate programs often use cookies and tracking pixels that require consent in many jurisdictions. The chain of data sharing can be long, making transparency and documentation essential.