Privacy concerns and the use of internet cookies

Jose Omar Garcia
IFSM 201
October 21, 2012

Cookies evolved because they solve a big problem for the people who create web sites. They are small files stored on a user's computer as a text file and placed on the hard disk by a web page server. Designed to hold a modest amount of data specific to a particular client and website, they can be accessed either by the web server or the client computer. This allows the server to deliver a page tailored to a particular user, or the page itself can contain some script that allows the cookie to carry information from one website visit to the next. They are not used to run programs or to deliver viruses to your computer. Moreover, they are uniquely assigned to one computer in particular, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to the user.
One of the biggest concerns with cookies is they potentially violate an internet user's privacy, many times without his or her knowledge. Even though many websites guarantee protection of personal information, many people do not like the idea of their passwords or other sensitive data being stored. Therefore, internet browsers provide various privacy settings so a user can prevent the installation of cookies or clear them at any time. This paper will explore some of the ethical implication of using cookies in the internet environment, particularly regarding protection of personal information.
The use of internet cookies has many benefits, which is why they have become so pervasive. They have allowed marketers and advertisers to gather numeric information from particular cookies files with unique identifiers. When the user surfs the internet, a cookie is assigned to track his or her preferences during website visits. Because advertisers need to measure the reach and appeal of the advertisements they place, as well as better target their ads, they gain valuable information when they use cookies to estimate the number of visitors to a website and how many users click on their links. This benefits both marketers and web surfers so that the latter are not bombarded with extensive advertising they are very unlikely to be interested in. Web updates, large data base, assigned cookie files, tracking a web user, are some of the methods that web developers use to for statistical purposes. This approach identifies the moves of an internet user by tracking entries, exits and new comers. Computer users can customize their websites and save special preferences for future visits, enabling them to skip information input and allowing for personalization of web preferences. This also permits them to store confidential information separately and privately, such as screen names, password, and shopping-related information (Hormozi, 2005, p. 53).
Some computer users describe cookies as an intrusive way of collecting valuable information without their consent. Because cookies are placed directly onto a user’s hard drive, many are worried about the extent to which cookies may provide personal information to third parties. Because cookies single text files, they can gather personal information of many computer users all over the world in large databases for the purpose of delivering and selling it to third parties. As a result, third parties may have more detailed personal information at hand and may be able to acquire email and personal accounts or relate data from many different sources via identifying information like email addresses. Third party cookies are a particular concern, as when visiting one website, a cookie may be placed by that company that feeds information to an entirely different company. Personal information such as credit cards, phone numbers, and home and billing addresses should be selectively kept in secure location (Hormozi, 2005, p. 54). Because companies failed to disclose the way cookies retrieves internet users’ information, there have been several lawsuits brought against them. In 2000, many companies were required to give the user the option of accepting or rejecting the use of cookies. Furthermore, many methods of collecting internet users’ information by companies were banned because cookies were used to track users’ web navigation. Therefore, most websites furnish users with specific information on what is being compiled. If a website identifies a user as a child, it is required comply with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations, which require that the site ask permission to gather information and inform the user of how it will be utilized. However, such information can only be collected if the parent has given consent. Esurance, an auto insurance company, was held accountable for its misuse of cookies. As a result of a lawsuit brought against by the FTC, Esurance now notifies internet users on regarding third parties’ involvement and how information will be used. Another example can be found in a marketing company, Avenue A, Inc. Even though the company has a very detailed privacy policy that complies with, W3C’s platform for Privacy Preferences Project specifications notifying web surfers of the use of cookies, Avenue A, Inc. was also accused of violating commonly accepted protocols regarding collection of private information about internet users (Hormozi, 2005, p. 56).
In view of the positives and negatives for the use of cookies, especially for privacy protection, one solution to strengthen internet surfers’ privacy protection would be to look for privacy seals, from entities such as TRUSTe, 3rd Party, or BBB Online. For example, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization focused on advancing marketplace trust, is attempting to provide internet users with protection and peace of mind when surfing the internet via the BBB Online privacy seal, which may be obtained by companies that have their website privacy policies vetted by the BBB. This seal indicates that the company follows its own privacy policy and that the policy meets BBB standards. If an internet user feels that his or her information is being furnished inappropriately or that a website does not acknowledge its privacy policy, the user has the right to contact both online Better Business Bureau and TRUSTEDe. Given that internet cookie use is unlikely to be limited to their initial intended use and the FTC ruling from 2000 that users are responsible for managing their own information based on companies’ privacy policies, reading and understanding web privacy policies is essential and can help users to understand which information is appropriate to share, knowing that internet cookies are utilized by the website being accessed (Hormozi, 2005, p. 57).
The privacy related issues described above prompted the passage of a law in 2009 in the European Union that has been slowly implemented by member countries, banning the use of cookies. Some believe that privacy concerns and legislators’ desire to respond to constituent anxiety could lead to additional laws being passed elsewhere attempting to regulate the use of cookies. While privacy issues continue to concern internet users, several recent trends may affect their relative importance. For example, the prevalence of social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, and the expanding ability to associate demographic, other information about users' likes and interests and status updates or Tweets with their email addresses could eventually be connected to decision making processes by credit agencies, health care providers or others according to privacy experts (Spring, 2010). With the emergence of HTML5, other capacities are now available to developers to cache large amounts of client data on devices and access it without having to do expensive web requests, requiring information going beyond the functionality of a cookie (Cox, 2009, p. 18). Another trend worth mentioning is the increasing percentage of users who access the internet from mobile devices, including smartphones, iPads, and others. This has prompted the development of secure browsers on many different platforms to increase security on mobile devices, for the Andriod platform, for example. This is particularly important for business users, guaranteeing adequate internet security even from those devices, capable of encrypting cookies, browsing history, and bookmarks and controlling how their content interacts with the rest of the applications and information contained in the device (“Data loss,” 2012).
The use of internet cookies can be considered beneficial to a computer user. It can also be worrisome to computer owners that an uninvited information capturing file is introduced onto their machine. Allowing the use of cookies is up to the user; however, many computer users are completely unaware of when and how a cookie has been placed on their hard drive. Internet cookies were initially introduced as a convenience to the user to save information so that they do not continuously repeat the same processes when making repeated visits to websites. Internet users desire strong protection of personal information, not only online but in general. Although companies have a moral obligation and an interest in aggressively protecting users’ private information in order to maintain their business, the strong incentives to track web surfers’ information requires both that users be vigilant and responsible regarding privacy risks, and that agencies such as the FTC continue to adapt the regulatory framework to respond to developments in information technology.

References Chartier D. (2011, February). HTML5: What Does It Mean for You?. Macworld, 28(3): 90-91. Cox, J. (2009). Heady days for mobile web apps. Network World, 26(23), 10-10,18. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/215990957?accountid=14580 Data loss; good technology announces the industry's first secure browser for android devices: Good mobile access. (2012). Computers, Networks & Communications, 375. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/963976181?accountid=14580
Hormozi, A. M. (2005). Cookies and Privacy. Information Systems Security, 13(6), 51-59. Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) Project. (2007). Enabling smarter Privacy Tools for the Web. Retrieved from: http://www.w3.org/P3P/ Spring, T. (2010). Good-bye to privacy? PC World, 28, 10-12. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/521443671?accountid=14580

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[ 1 ]. The Privacy Preference Project provides a standard privacy policy format that can be applied by a variety of companies or websites. The adoption of this tool streamlines for users privacy policy analysis and decision making process via the standard tool. (http://www.w3.org/P3P/)
[ 2 ]. HTML5 is the fifth version of Hypertext Markup (HTML). HTML is the principal means by which the web browser receives instructions on where to retrieve and how to organize content that the user views. (Chartier, 2011, p. 90)