Tracking Cookies ARE spyware if they're placed on a
person's computer without their knowledge, and if they do
their job of reporting the person's behavior online,
again without the knowledge of the user. That
is "spying" to me.
Nielson collects tv viewing data from viewers, but they
do that only with the agreement of the viewer, who, by
the way, are paid by Nielson for the service. Nielson
solicits families who are willing to have their viewing
habits recorded, and then Nielson pays them for their
service.
If someone wants to pay me for the right to monitor and
record my Internet viewing habits I might consider their
offer. But unsolicited, unannounced, covert recording of
anything I do in private is not only spying, its a gross
violation of my constitutional right to privacy.
Microsoft needs to restore the automatic detection and
removal of tracking cookies to their "Anti-Spyware" Beta,
and do it quickly. Otherwise we'll all figure out that
Microsoft is no better than the producers and
distributors of the spyware. Who would buy software from
a spyware producer and distributor? Not me! An that
goes for Windows and Office, etc. If Microsoft's Anti-
Spyware is in fact facilitating spyware, then how safe am
I with their Windows and other products. Does Microsoft
Office report to Microsoft on how I use Excel or
Powerpoint? I sure hope not, or our country will all of
a sudden not have nearly enough attorneys to handle the
law suits.
