Yahoo Inc. announced its plan on Friday for letting its users in the United Kingdom opt out of allowing websites to collect information on their Internet habits. The plan was put in place as a way to comply with a new European Union law mandating user consent before collecting data about Internet users' identities and habits via cookies. (Miller, 2011) So far, only Italy and a few other members of the European Union have written this law into their legislation, which has a due date of being put of May 25th.
A cookie, by definition, is a text files that is placed on a user's computer by Web sites that the user visits. Cookies may contain and provide identifying information about the user to the Web sites that place them on the user computer, along with whatever information the sites want to retain about the user's visit. (Wayne, 2011) In many ways, cookies have been both a useful and important aspect of information technology since the creation of the Internet. Websites use the information from cookies in order to figure out which customers to focus on, and how they could sell their advertising space on their pages to become profitable. The problem, however, is when websites abuse the power of the cookie. For example, if a website or the management personnel of a company used cookies to find out where a person is going on the Internet. This raises the issue of a person’s privacy and what should or should not be allowed to be monitored.
I personally believe that cookies are useful and necessary depending what or who is monitoring the cookies. On the one hand, I think that it is both fair and expected for companies to put cookies in place in computer systems that are directly located at a company’s workplace. Anything that a company owns should be monitored according to the company’s regulations and rules in order to make sure employees are staying focused and not going to places on the Internet that they should not be going. If information got out that employees of a company were going on websites that were deemed inappropriate and could put a company’s name in a bad light than the company has the right to know. If you do not own the computer or device you are accessing the Internet on you do not have the right to say how that machine should be monitored.
On the other hand, I think that people have the right to opt out of allowing websites to collect information on them through cookies when the information is being gathered for purposes that directly affect the person in a way that they don’t want others to see. The information that websites gather from cookies could be used to expose personal aspects of a person’s life that are either embarrassing or not made public for a reason. For example, a person would be opposed to cookies if an Internet browser tracked that person accessing adult content websites, and then as a result ads for adult content sites came up on other web pages…when that person’s young child was using his/her computer!
The cookie controversy focuses on the issue of privacy. What should be monitored and what information should be shared are two questions that are always going to be asked when talking about cookies. Yahoo Inc. has made a stance that it believes its users privacy should be put first. I agree with their decision, but that doesn’t mean I agree that every website or company should allow an opt out of the mass of information stored in cookies.
Miller, John W. (2011). Yahoo cookie plan in place. Wall Street Journal, Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870351240 4576208700813815570.html
Porter, Wayne. (2011). Internet cookies - spyware or neutral technology. Spyware Guide, Retrieved from http://www.spywareguide.com/articles/internet_cookies_spy
ware_or_ne_57.html
I agree with what Nick has said about this cookie controversy. It comes down to the issue of privacy online. I think cookies are important for companies because it allows them to analyze their customer base and gives them the information they need to be successful in providing their customers with what they want. However, I do also see the other side of the argument where people would like more privacy online. I think if you are on a company's webpage, they should definitely be allowed to have cookies to track your activity. By letting its United Kingdom users to opt out of allowing websites to collect information on their Internet habits, Yahoo is revoking that website's right to have the information. I don't see this really spreading because online companies would lose this beneficial use of IT by not being able to track their customers. It would be a huge loss to companies, so I think a majority of them will not allow it.
ReplyDelete