An internet user may be able to avoid an ordinary cookie by taking privacy measures like browsing incognito—but not a “supercookie.”
Verizon and AT&T have been using these “supercookies” to track over 100 million customers, to the alarm of privacy advocates, the Washington Post reported Monday:
One civil liberties group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says it has raised its concerns with the Federal Communications Commission and is contemplating formal legal action to block Verizon. AT&T’s program is not as advanced and, according to the company, is still in testing.
Privacy advocates are concerned about the extent of identifying information companies can obtain through these types of cookies, as well as their potential use by intelligence agencies like the National Security Agency.
Some claim that “supercookies” are violating several privacy laws which forbid carriers from divulging their customers’ identifying information, and from changing customers’ communications without their consent. Although Verizon and AT&T say they have notified customers, others argue that their efforts are not explicit enough to users.
Internet users have become increasingly wary of companies using their data. According to a recent survey, most Americans fear Google’s access to their private data more than the NSA.
