[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4Cast #224: Web wants cookies

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OPLIN 4Cast

OPLIN 4Cast #224: Web wants cookies
April 6th, 2011

<http://www.oplin.org/4cast/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/cookie_monster_joke_rev1.png>Everybody 
likes cookies, at least the kind you eat. But when it comes 
to web cookies, some people have concerns. A web cookie is a 
tiny file that a web browser saves on your computer when you 
visit some websites. A cookie can be used to store your 
authentication credentials, your site preferences, the 
number of times you've visited a site, your shopping cart 
contents, etc. In other words, cookies can store some very 
private information. For that reason, the European Union has 
issued an "e-Privacy" directive 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directive_on_Privacy_and_Electronic_Communications> 
that includes a requirement that websites get the explicit 
consent of the user before storing cookies. As the May 25 
deadline for complying with this law approaches, however, 
resistance is growing.

    * New net rules set to make cookies crumble
      <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12668552> (BBC
      News) "The section of the directive dealing with
      cookies was drawn up in an attempt to protect privacy
      and, in particular, limit how much use could be made
      of behavioural advertising. This form of marketing
      involves people being tracked across websites, with
      their behaviour used to create a profile that dictates
      the type of adverts they see."
    * New EC directive could affect marketers ability to
      target their advertising
      <http://www.targetinternet.com/digital-marketing-news-update-11th-march-2011-%E2%80%93-eu-law-change-on-cookies-foursquare-3-0-google-preview-facebook-and-linkedin-today/>
      (target internet) "The directive has been heralded as
      potentially 'damaging' by the Internet Advertising
      Bureau [IAB] as it would have serious implications for
      behavioural marketing and targeted advertising based
      on our browsing habits. The main aim of the directive
      is to give the consumer more control over the personal
      data which is stored as cookies leaving a breadcrumb
      trail of where we've been and what we've looked at, a
      treasure trove of information for any digital marketer."
    * Governments 'not ready' for new European privacy law
      <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12677534> (BBC
      News) "The IAB and the European Advertising Standards
      Authority have both argued for self-regulation, and
      have drawn up guidelines for cookie use on websites.
      'They are pretty poor in our opinion, they are not
      very transparent,' said Rob Reid, senior policy
      adviser for consumer watchdog Which? But the other
      extreme---of making consumers consent to every cookie
      presented to them---is not feasible either, he said.
      'Privacy groups have argued to have an opt in for
      every cookie but that would make browsing a complete
      nightmare,' he said."
    * Stupid EU cookie law will hand the advantage to the
      US, kill our startups stone dead
      <http://eu.techcrunch.com/2011/03/09/stupid-eu-cookie-law-will-hand-the-advantage-to-the-us-kill-our-startups-stone-dead/>
      (TechCrunch Europe/Mike Butcher) "The new European
      e-Privacy directive is supposedly to protect privacy,
      although seems to be operating in a bubble. Privacy
      controls have existed in Web browsers for years.
      Indeed there are even privacy specific browsers. But
      consumers have consistently ignored them and carried
      on happily using cookies, with many people knowing
      that cookies actually help the browsing experience."

*/Cookie use fact:/*

Last April, Security Space did a survey 
<http://www.securityspace.com/s_survey/data/man.201003/cookieReport.html> 
of over 2 million websites and found that about 60,000 of 
them stored cookies on users' computers for more than a year.
------------------------------------------------------------
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