I honestly think that the term "tracking" is too benign. If I followed someone around, taking notes on them as I went, so that I could try to sell them something, I would be called a stalker.
But do it online and it's just "tracking".
But do it online and it's just "tracking".
A better comparison would be, the gov uses your census data to mail you flyers.
Well, stalking sounds like you're driven by some strong emotion or crazy plan. This sounds more like a private detective/investigator doing surveillance, or a "social engineer" – itself an even more over-benign term – exploiting people to get what they want.