Privacy and Cookies
Cookies can, and often do, pose a privacy risk because they allow a
variety of web sites and "spyware" programs to build a personal
"profile" of who you are and what you do.
For example you might allow your favorite weather web site to store
your postcode to a cookie so you can get the local forecast every morning
without having to retype your postcode.
This seems fine since the weather web site doesn't know who you are.
But what you may not realize is that the weather web site may work
with a network of other web sites to compile all your little pieces of
information (like postcode) into a single, amazingly complete, demographic
profile.
And this isn't just your name and address. It's your opinions
(ever answered an online poll?), your purchases (ever bought anything
online), and your web usage patterns.
The best way to avoid privacy issues is to
- make sure your computer is free of spyware,
- disable third-party cookies, and
- read the privacy statements of sites you use.
Reference: www.commercialinstitute.com