"Cookies Are Better When Served With Milk"

What other way would you want your cookies? Some people like cookies alone while others prefer dunking them in a refreshing beverage. Still, people also like the variety they come in such as chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin or sugar. However, there is a bigger problem that faces the cookie choice debacle.  The media has suggested that internet marketers and websites are stealing cookies from people. Short of calling this “the great cookie debacle,” the real crime is that we aren’t talking about the delicious treats which we are all familiar with. The cookies that we should be concerned about are the cookies that internet sites steal from our browsers in order to track our movements and preferences. 

Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued its recommendations on protecting consumer privacy when online. They proposed a “do not track” option that would allow users to opt out of being tracked while surfing the web. According to a Fox News article, the tool would most likely take the form of a browser setting that would apply across the board as consumers jump from site to site. It would clearly inform sites when tracking and targeted advertising are off limits for a particular browser. The concept is closely based on the already implemented “do not call” registry, which prohibits telemarketers from soliciting their services. 

For the consumer this could be both a blessing and a curse. The good news is that companies won’t be legally allowed to track you online. This would cut down on advertisements and spam that each of us gets when visiting sites. Websites wouldn’t know any information about us so essentially our privacy would be better protected. The bad news is that customized advertisements would be a thing of the past. By opting out of cookie tracking, personal ads that were specialized to your searches would no longer be there, giving way to more generalized advertisements. The biggest hit would come to internet websites that use cookie tracking. A lot of effort goes into understanding consumer trends and needs. If opting out of cookies becomes an option, then a lot of website will have to revert to generic internet marketing which is costly.  

This fantasy has already become a reality for some. Microsoft has recently added a feature to its newest versions of Internet Explorer. A user can now control whether they want to opt out of cookie tracking by clicking a button. Supporters are praising Microsoft’s commitment to its internet user’s privacy however, advertisers are firing back saying that users are not only opting out of cookie tracking but also advertising in general. 

So whether you like sharing cookies with friends or sharing cookies with websites, it seems that real soon you will have to make a choice. Some might choose to keep cookie tracking on so they can benefit from the customization that we are so used to right now, while others will choose to surf the internet without being tracked. My choice is easy…I think cookies are better when served with milk.  

Article Source: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/12/01/ftc-proposes-track-list-web-marketing & http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2010/12/09/131914019/microsoft-ads-do-not-track-option-to-internet-explorer-9