More NSA silliness
The National Security Agency’s Internet site has been placing files on visitors’ computers that can track their Web surfing activity despite strict federal rules banning most files of that type.
The files, known as cookies, disappeared after a privacy activist complained and The Associated Press made inquiries this week. Agency officials acknowledged yesterday that they had made a mistake.
Nonetheless, the issue raised questions about privacy at the agency, which is on the defensive over reports of an eavesdropping program.
Cookies are generally harmless, of course, but I was unaware there were laws against them. I suppose there are laws against the Feds placing them. It looks like it was an accident, though that’s reported after all the bluster and scare:
Don Weber, an agency spokesman, said in a statement yesterday that the use of the so-called persistent cookies resulted from a recent software upgrade.
Normally, Mr. Weber said, the site uses temporary cookies that are automatically deleted when users close their Web browsers, which is legally permissible. But he said the software in use was shipped with the persistent cookies turned on.
“After being tipped to the issue, we immediately disabled the cookies,” Mr. Weber said.
Cookies are widely used at commercial Web sites and can make Internet browsing more convenient by letting sites remember user preferences. For example, visitors would not have to repeatedly enter passwords at sites that require them.
Privacy advocates point out that cookies can also track Web surfing, even if no personal information is collected.
Do I have a freedom from unreasonable cookies?
December 29th, 2005 at 11:53 am
This is a regulation that all branches of the government must follow. In part, it requires that no cookies be placed on a “customer’s” computer. I think it is a bunch of silliness.
I think this is shoddy reporting. Cookies do not track where you’ve been on other sites. Cookies are most often used to determine where you’ve been on one site. They can be used to track user data, form submission data, login data, and other informatoin to help a web site work better. They are often, unless Internet Exploder has another issue, not able to be read by another site.
So, the NSA didn’t put a cookie on your machine to track where you’ve been on the internet as a whole. They may have placed a cookie on your site to see where you’ve been on their site, what information interests you, what your email address may be if you are submitting forms, etc, etc, etc.
Nothing bad here. I hope none of the uninformed lefties get too wild with this one. You’ve probably got your credit card numbers, email address, site passwords, and many other details in your cookies for other web sites, so if they could be read by another site, you’d have bigger problems.
For the record, I’ve managed web servers for government agencies before.
December 29th, 2005 at 11:54 am
Oh, and as to the freedom issue:
I don’t see it listed in the Bill of Rights. (Just kidding. My own little joke on those who don’t understand our government.)
December 29th, 2005 at 11:56 am
I concur it was shoddy, which is why i noted that mention it was accidental was late in the story.