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- And while I’m pondering the many mysteries of the net, , ,
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- Where does the data go that your browser sends out? I understand that there’s software and hardware options that can trap unauthorized data on your PC or network. Both IE and Netscape transmit info on anything you visit to a site somewhere - not the same site for each I suppose, but where does it all go? What do they do with it? - MC
I’ll assume that you’re talking about data sent from your browser that is not a direct http/ftp/whatever request.
Whether or not supplemental information on your surfing habits is sent to a third party, or to some Netscape/Microsoft database, is tough to find out. Netscape has a feature called “smart browsing” that sends your surfing history to a system that builds traffic patterns so it can recommend other sites (on the theory that, since 90% of the people looking at the web page you’re looking at also looked at another site, you’ll probably want to look at that other site, too). Basically it’s like Amazon’s “people who purchased this X also purchased…” feature. It can be disabled in the preferences for Netscape.
I’m not aware that IE does the same, and there are privacy groups out there who delight in exposing secret data gathering like this, and for the most part they’ve been successful in stopping it. A year or two ago it was discovered that RealPlayer logged your listening habits to build a user database, and did so without telling users. Exposure of that ‘feature’ caused Real to turn it off.
A larger concern is third party cookies, embedded in banner ads (well, not embedded: an image can be retrieved via CGI script, so the image for the banner ad is sent from a script that places and reads a cookie on your system, building a database of traffic patterns according to the unique identifier it assigns to you). Any website you visit with a banner ad from a large, ad-selling business like DoubleClick is logged, building a user profile for you personally, which has obvious marketing and privacy implications. Netscape allows you to disable third-party cookies like this, but IE doesn’t.
The real concern is that your user profile in the various databases of DoubleClick, Amazon, Netscape, etc. will be combined into a profile that is directly connected to you by name and address. Marketers get wet at the thought of that much demographic information, but the potential for abuse is huge. Imagine if a prospective employer screens you against that database, and finds out you’ve been visiting lovefarm.com, anarchy.org, potsmokers.net, or I’mgayandlovingit.butt. Imagine if you become the subject of a criminal investigation, and the police subpoena your surfing history.
From a business perspective, the consolidation of these databases is very tempting. Last year, DoubleClick and Abacus Direct merged in a billion dollar stock swap; DoubleClick has a massive database of user traffic, while Abacus has databases of geographical demographics - there’s the user profile your employer or the police or someone else investigating you could use.
Last year it was revealed in Canada that the federal department of Human Resources had combined all other federal databases (tax, criminal, UI, hospital) into a meta-database that provided astonishingly complete profiles of pretty much every Canadian. A push to do the same is underway in the U.S. In Canada, the federal privacy commissioner revealed it, and under public pressure the database was dismantled. I don’t think the U.S. has a similar government position.
hansel, IE 5.5 does allow you to reject third-party cookies.
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- At http://www.grc.com there’s info and a free security check you can do- the site tries to detect unsecured ports on your computer. The guy sells stuff, but also has stuff available for free. - A college professor says everything on the site is true. - MC
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I just downloaded IE 5.5 and can’t find the option to disable third party cookies. Where is it?
Hansel,
Thanks for the lucid response. I learned about doubleclick just recently, and it is a bit disturbing. Even straightdope.com dumps a doubleclick tag in the cookie file, and that’s the end of my privacy until I delete my cookie file.
With that said, you mentioned that you can turn off 3rd party cookies… how? Is it in a different version of Netscape? I’m currently running 4.5 now… I know it’s not the latest version, but I never felt a need to upgrade. The only thing I’ve ever noticed in this version is that I can turn off ALL cookies. That can be a pain, though because some sites that I go to use that cookie file. And putting the check on to accept or decline cookies is a pain.
On another note, for any legal minds out there, how exactly is what doubleclick does legal? It seems that privacy advocates would be all over this.
I believe the latest version of Netscape (6.0) lets you enable/disable cookies individually, based on the url. I use a product called Cookie Pal that does the same thing. I only accept cookies from sites where it provides some benefit to me, for example amazon.com, where I buy books, or the New York Times, so I can log in easily. If I visit a new site, Cookie Pal pops up and asks me if I want to block all cookies from that site. I usually say yes, then later if I decide that I need to accept cookies (to place an order, or for some other reason), I go into Cookie Pal and turn them back on for that site. It’s pretty handy! It also lets you see the cookies you’re storing. Of course, I block all cookies going to *.doubleclick.com 
It’s pretty sad that Netscape and IE both haven’t had this feature for so long.
Arjuna34
PS - Excellent answer, hansel!
Arjuna34
Arjuna,
Is cookie pal free or is it commercially available? That sounds like an answer.
Thanks,
Mr. Blonde
It’s $15 (USD) from here: http://www.kburra.com/
I’ve been using it for several years, with absolutely no problems. I’m pretty sure there are free cookie filters out there, too, although I’ve never used one. I’m pretty sure the latest version of Netscape (6.0) has some sort of filtering options built in, also.
You might try downloading Cookie Pal, and using the 30 day demo to see what features you like, and then try to find a freeware program that has those features
Arjuna34
Unfortunately, this doesn’t have much to do with cookies or browsers that leak information about you (and aside from that, could easily be a trojan horse itself).
Who could question an endorsement like that? I wonder if it’s the same college professor who gave a testimonial about the MAKE MONEY FAST spam I got in my inbox just now.
To block third party cookies (IE 5.50 with Advanced Security Privacy Beta q268316) go to:
Tools>> Internet Options>> Security>> Custom Level>> Cookies>> Allow Third Party Cookies. Select ‘Disable’.
For more selective cookie control I like AnalogX’s CookieWall. It’s small, easy to use and it’s free.
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- I’m not talking about cookies, people. Whenever you use the internet, info on your requests to download anything at all is sent out by Netscape and MS browsers to, , , -somewhere. Cookies, websites and servers have nothing to do with it, it’s the exe that does it, all by itself. ~ I just downloaded one of the firewall programs the prof mentioned, but it doesn’t let you specity the types of transmission all that particularly, just shows you the transmission on a little bar graph and allows the option to block transmission one way and/or the other. I’ll have to ask which firewall programs will log the traffic.
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- And it’s a community college, an evening class and a part-time instructor, so he does have a real job in the industry. - MC