Internet Cookies: Changing Internet Use and Privacy Lindsay Maidment & Katherine Hollander November 8, 2006

Why talk about Cookies?  We wanted to choose a topic that we did not know much about  As a technologically advanced generation, we use the internet virtually everyday  Read about DoubleClick Inc. and its business tactics

Which best describes an internet cookie?  A) A hacker breaks into your computer and looks at your files.  B) The telephone number that dials into an online service.  C) Files downloaded onto your computer that track your online habits.  D) I have no idea.

Business Week Survey…  A) Hacker – 6%  B) Phone number – 4%  C) Tracking file – 75%  D) Didn’t know – 15% **This survey was a telephone survey of 1,014 randomly selected adults between March 2 and March 6 of 2000, by Harris Interactive.

Knowing the Basics:  In the Business Week survey in 2000, only 40% of the randomly selected knew what an internet cookie was. **This survey was a telephone survey of 1,014 randomly selected adults between March 2 and March 6 of 2000, by Harris Interactive.

What is a cookie?  A text file which a website can store on its visitors’ hard drives  Made up of numbers and letters  Generally, cookies are a simple ID file  Sometimes they can store more complicated information  Also called “name-value pairs”

What’s the point?  Sites use cookies to…  Track number of visitors  First timers vs. returning visitors  How often the user visits the site  Why?  Frequent Buyer example  $$$ from Advertisers

Where are cookies?  You can find cookie files on your hard drive, your “C” drive.

Mmmm! cookies…  They remember usernames for various sites that require log-in  Also have the option to remember your passwords for you!  They allow you to shop as you browse via online shopping carts!  Cookies provide user customization of sites, like weather.com & msn.com

Bittersweet: the problems  Multiple users on the same hard drive  Family computer, internet cafes  Credit card fraud Credit card fraud Credit card fraud  Easily erasable  Throw off site’s total counts  Can contain spyware!  Can pass on personal information without user’s permission ( address, phone number, credit card number, etc.)

DoubleClick Inc.  Developed cookie program that can follow and save user internet browsing  Such cookie files are saved into text profiles  Profiles can be extensive and detailed  Serves over 200 billion ads per month

Benefits of DoubleClick:  Advertisers!  Allows internet advertisers to place their ads on sites or pages which will reach their target audiences  Online Shoppers!  Can provide easy access to interesting products without the hassle of a long search  Jeans Example

Doubts behind Doubleclick:  Announced plan to link anonymous cookie profiles to personal user information without user’s permission.  Invasion of privacy! (In depth look at DoubleClick litigation) Invasion of privacy! Invasion of privacy!  DoubleClick planned to turn around and sell the comprehensive profiles to other companies.  Spam & Spyware can be found within cookie files without user’s knowledge.  Samantha Jones example

Life without cookies…  Many sites are heavily dependent on cookies and may not function well without them  Some may not function at all  Erasing cookies prevents visitors from making use of certain amenities sites offer

Questions? Or Comments?