[LINK] SMH: Cookies on political websites

[Stilgherrian]

On 08/11/2010, at 9:18 AM, Roger Clarke wrote:
> Cookie monsters: browser beware as political websites plant spy devices
> Date: November 08 2010
> The Sydney Morning Herald
> Nicky Phillips
> http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/cookie-monsters-browser-beware-as-political-websites-plant-spy-devices-20101107-17j13.html?skin=text-only
> 
> EXCLUSIVE
> 
> Politicians are letting foreign-owned companies covertly gather 
> information about voters.
> 
> The websites of Barry O'Farrell, Kristina Keneally, Tony Abbott and 
> the Greens plant spying devices on visitors' computers, which can 
> track them as they browse the internet.

The article singles out the Yahoo! tracking cookie on Tony Abbott's website, which expires in 2037. The hypocrisy is astounding. I just checked Fairfax's own websites, They have twice as many tracking cookies as Abbott's, some set to expire on 2020 and 2038, and all of them apart from Fairfax's own from "foreign-owned companies".

I have done a more complete listing for Crikey today. Just filed the story, dunno if it'll be outside the paywall.

Stil


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