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Microsoft's Cookie Monster | |
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| Time: 10:12 EST/15:12 GMT | News Source: Business Week Online | Posted By: Byron Hinson | ||
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Whatever you think of Microsoft, there's no escaping the company's sheer power. For years, the Internet and high-tech industries have been haggling over the best solution to protect the privacy of Web visitors. Now the colossus of Redmond has forced the issue, simply by releasing the latest version of its Internet browser, Internet Explorer 6.0. IE 6, which comes bundled in the new Microsoft operating system XP, includes a privacy-enabling technology called P3P, or Platform for Privacy Preferences. | ||
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| #1 By 1845 (12.254.240.94) at 12/14/2001 11:05:46 AM |
| It was reported in August of last year that IE6 would include P3P. Maybe that was a good time for this article. Or at least, it could have been reported on when IE6 went gold this summer. Or maybe when WindowsXP went gold. |
| #2 By 1845 (12.254.240.94) at 12/14/2001 12:50:58 PM |
| Um, whatever, #6. |
| #3 By 1845 (12.254.240.94) at 12/15/2001 11:42:26 AM |
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I think you use the word monopoly a little too freely #11. Considering that passport has been available for two years already and as far as I know only a few sites not owned by Microsoft use it (buy.com, ebay.com), how can you even imagine that via Passport Microsoft would have an authentication monopoly.
Secondly, perhaps you should read the privacy statements about passport before you go spouting what Microsoft will or can do with data that is possible to collect via passport. Until you've read the policy, you don't know what they legally can do with such data. Besides, doubleclick already, I imagine, has 1000x the data Microsoft could have with all of their data gathering abilities. Security flaws with ActiveX? A little more explanation is required. I've had active scripting turned on since I started surfing using IE 4.01 back in '98 and I've never had any problems with rougue ActiveX controls harming me. I only accept controls from those I trust and even then I accept controls on a case by case basis (prompt). I never accept unsigned controls. Cookies compromise privacy? Um, that depends on the user. If you set your cookie accepting to prompt, you can see exactly who writes cookies, so if you don't want it written it isn't. Also, with IE6, there are great gains as to whether third party cookies are accepted. There has been other software? Well, that doesn't surprise me. If barely anyone has heard of the software though, it doesn't much matter that it existed, does it? If I didn't know about it and therefor couldn't use it, then to me it didn't exist, so.... who cares? |
| #4 By 1295 (216.84.210.100) at 12/16/2001 5:23:52 PM |
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I personally don't see what all the fuss is about with privacy.
I don't care if companies want to know that x number of users visit x sites on a regular basis. My name isn't in their cookies and if they want to know that I go to Porn sites 4 times a day or whatever then that's cool with me. ActiveX controls only server a security risk if the user is stupid. Its default to "Prompt" in IE and that allows you to decide to use a control or not. Thats a worthless argument considering you must manually choose to automatically download and install both signed and unsigned Controls. Only an idiot would do that and that person deserves all he gets from it. Opera is an awsome browser and I would prolly use it except, though this might be a little off the mainstream, i don't like the MDI interface. Its annoying to me in most respects. |
| #5 By 1845 (12.254.240.94) at 12/16/2001 10:32:31 PM |
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You seem really upset #18. I hope you don't feel that I'm attacking you, because I feel similarly about people "spying" on me. I do, however, know that privacy on the Internet is a hard thing. There is a lot that a user can do to prevent "spying". You can turn off cookies or set them to prompt. You set all ActiveX controls or plugins to prompt. You can refuse to install programs the report your activities - like Gator or some versions of RealPlayer. There are also programs that help block add spam - TweakXP for instance. (I have it set to block tons of ads even the one at the top of this page I don't see.)
As for Linux, if it gains in popularity you'll face the same issues with it that you do now with Windows, so even that isn't a permanent solution. As far as browsers go, I don't think Netscape or Opera are going to keep your data any more private than IE does. |
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