When a person logs into a website, and the website states “Welcome back [insert username here]“ this is done with cookies. When a user logs into a website without the need to enter their credentials to allow access is also done with cookies. Cookies play an important role in our day-to-day activities online. The major issue with all of this convenience is that cookies are also used to track browsing habits of users. Which is a concern of many Internet users, because cookies can track Internet history, and companies’ hosting web sites can use these cookies to track exactly when the user visits and how often they visit their site. This is important to advertisement companies trying to make a sale. This browsing history data can tell those types
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This site defines cookies and some of the ways they are used. The site states, "a ‘cookie’ is a small text file placed on your local computer sent by a web server so that your data can later be read back from that website." This file will tell the Internet information specific to the user’s computer, and if the user ever visits that site again. The video, on the referenced site, goes on to explain in more detail the different areas where a cookie can be used. Some of the things that can be done by a cookie are targeted marketing, saving user credentials and even giving out basic networking …show more content…
According to Mr. Jerry Berman’s testimony, “44% of web sites provide the users with exactly what information they collect, and 52% justify how they will use the information collected. Shockingly, only 39.5% of the websites gave users an "opt-out" clause, which means allowing the user to decide whether they would like to be "re-contacted for marketing purposes". Only 25% of these same sites gave users some control over the disclosure of data ”(Cdt.org). These facts show that, although some web sites are beginning to step up their privacy policies, many more are still without a policy at all. As Mr. Berman also states in his testimony, “offline businesses and professionals accumulate personal data, but these entities can usually be trusted to use only the information that is appropriate to their own service area” (Cdt.org). If website owners do not follow this unspoken agreement, there are specific obligatory laws that will protect the users from harm. Cookie use is continually growing as the Internet does. As more web sites adopt the use of cookies, more users will be exposed to them and therefore these sites will collect more users’ personal
This site defines cookies and some of the ways they are used. The site states, "a ‘cookie’ is a small text file placed on your local computer sent by a web server so that your data can later be read back from that website." This file will tell the Internet information specific to the user’s computer, and if the user ever visits that site again. The video, on the referenced site, goes on to explain in more detail the different areas where a cookie can be used. Some of the things that can be done by a cookie are targeted marketing, saving user credentials and even giving out basic networking …show more content…
According to Mr. Jerry Berman’s testimony, “44% of web sites provide the users with exactly what information they collect, and 52% justify how they will use the information collected. Shockingly, only 39.5% of the websites gave users an "opt-out" clause, which means allowing the user to decide whether they would like to be "re-contacted for marketing purposes". Only 25% of these same sites gave users some control over the disclosure of data ”(Cdt.org). These facts show that, although some web sites are beginning to step up their privacy policies, many more are still without a policy at all. As Mr. Berman also states in his testimony, “offline businesses and professionals accumulate personal data, but these entities can usually be trusted to use only the information that is appropriate to their own service area” (Cdt.org). If website owners do not follow this unspoken agreement, there are specific obligatory laws that will protect the users from harm. Cookie use is continually growing as the Internet does. As more web sites adopt the use of cookies, more users will be exposed to them and therefore these sites will collect more users’ personal