One thing I don't understand about this concern with "web bugs": can't
doubleclick get the same effect just by putting an ad banner on the page?
Either way there is a fetch to doubleclick's server, with the referrer
field set up from the page you were viewing, and with your IP address
and cookies included.
Granted, web bugs are more secretive, as you don't even see the banner.
But these days, most commercial pages are so loaded up with banners,
most people wouldn't even notice if there was a doubleclick banner there.
Porn pages, which was one of the places where evil web bugs are said to
be found, are the worst as far as banners.
Unless you are constantly checking every banner you see, you're probably
not even aware already when doubleclick or any other company is getting
information about your browsing. I don't see that web bugs are all that
much of an additional threat to your privacy.
Hal
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 02 2000 - 17:33:58 MDT