Yahoo’s Bugging You
From a mailing list comes a pointer to a change in the Yahoo Privacy policy. They are using “Web beacons” — single-pixel GIFs — to track “usage information.” They are sticking these into the “Yahoo! network of web sites,” into all the HTML email that Yahoo! sends, and apparently into some “partners'” web sites.
The privacy statement is badly written. For example, it says “web beacons within the Yahoo! network of web sites” are used to “count users and to recognize users by accessing Yahoo! cookies.” But I don’t know what constitutes their network of sites. Nor do I understand why they need to do this, although apparently it enables them to read cookies on pages that are not within the yahoo.com domain. And matters get more ambiguous when they talk about using beacons outside of their network “to conduct research on behalf of certain partners on their web sites.” Why is Yahoo conducting research for partners? What is a partner, anyway? Privacy statements need to be a whole lot clearer than this one.
Yahoo assures us that the information is only aggregated and not identified with particular users. To opt out, click here…and then repeat for every browser and every computer you use.
Categories: Uncategorized dw
You use the single pixel gif trick to associate a cookie with an e-mail address, thereby monetizing it. It works like this – a cookie on your computer can be used to track all your visits to a site, and all your actions on that site. But the only identifying information tied to that cookie is the IP address you were using when you connected to the Internet, and the domain you were visiting when you clicked on the link that sent you to the site.
With HTML-based mail, the site sends you an e-mail with the embedded gif. The gif request goes back to the site, carrying with it your e-mail address, AND ALL THE COOKIES YOU’VE EVER COLLECTED AT THE SITE. One of these cookies will include a unique identifier that you’d been assigned in the past.
So, they have your prior cookies, your unique identifier assigned by them, and your e-mail address. Therefor, they have a history of your actions at their site, including any purchases you’ve made, and data requests and searches you’ve made, and your e-mail address. Monetized.
If I am unclear (and this is a tad complex) e-mail me and I’ll try to be more complete.
They offer 100 Mb mailbox – I don’t think they are that bad….
http://www.hdtv-info.org