Cookies And Internet Privacy

Cookies and Internet Privacy
March 14, 1999
What is a Cookie? Netscape's Client Side State definition: Cookies are a general mechanism which server side connections (such as CGI scripts) can use to both store and retrieve information on the client side of the connection. The addition of a simple, persistent, client-side state significantly extends the capabilities of Web-based client/server applications.”Kington, Andy, Andy's HTTP Cookie Notes, Available from http://www.illuminatus.com/cookie_pages/ [modified 6 June 1997, cited 14 March, 1999]. In English, this means that webservers can create web pages that will customize from user to user. By saving these preferences on your computer, the web page can reload appearing to your chosen options. This is accomplished by retrieving the cookie, through your browser, when you access the web page. Where cookies and privacy clash The problem with privacy begins with the cookie revealing personal information that you do not wish to be a...