NEWS FLASH!!!!! NSA Uses Special Tracking Files On Users’ Computers
For cryin’ out loud:
The National Security Agency’s Internet site has been placing files on visitors’ computers that can track their Web surfing activity despite strict federal rules banning most files of that type.
The files, known as cookies, disappeared after a privacy activist complained and The Associated Press made inquiries this week. Agency officials acknowledged yesterday that they had made a mistake.
…Until Tuesday, the N.S.A. site created two cookie files that do not expire until 2035.
Don Weber, an agency spokesman, said in a statement yesterday that the use of the so-called persistent cookies resulted from a recent software upgrade.
Normally, Mr. Weber said, the site uses temporary cookies that are automatically deleted when users close their Web browsers, which is legally permissible. But he said the software in use was shipped with the persistent cookies turned on.
“After being tipped to the issue, we immediately disabled the cookies,” Mr. Weber said.The National Security Agency’s Internet site has been placing files on visitors’ computers that can track their Web surfing activity despite strict federal rules banning most files of that type.
The files, known as cookies, disappeared after a privacy activist complained and The Associated Press made inquiries this week. Agency officials acknowledged yesterday that they had made a mistake.
Until Tuesday, the N.S.A. site created two cookie files that do not expire until 2035.
Don Weber, an agency spokesman, said in a statement yesterday that the use of the so-called persistent cookies resulted from a recent software upgrade.
Normally, Mr. Weber said, the site uses temporary cookies that are automatically deleted when users close their Web browsers, which is legally permissible. But he said the software in use was shipped with the persistent cookies turned on.
“After being tipped to the issue, we immediately disabled the cookies,” Mr. Weber said.
Even privacy advocates are having hard time getting enthused about this latest NSA ’scandal’:
“Considering the surveillance power the N.S.A. has, cookies are not exactly a major concern,” said Ari Schwartz, associate director at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a privacy advocacy group in Washington. “But it does show a general lack of understanding about privacy rules when they are not even following the government’s very basic rules for Web privacy.”
…Richard M. Smith, a security consultant in Cambridge, Mass., questioned whether persistent cookies would even be of much use to the security agency. They are great for news sites and others with repeat visitors, Mr. Smith said, but the agency’s site does not appear to have enough fresh content to warrant more than occasional visits.
A sloppy software upgrade, then; does anyone doubt this story would not even be in the news if the OTHER NSA story was not?
It’s not only bloggers that play the ‘gotcha’ game…
Hey, sorry, this is a bit off-topic, but I know this is a Republican 2008 site, and I wanted to let you guys know about this 2008 poll that’s being taken on RedState. They’re down to the final three candidates, and it’s Rudy, Allen, and Newt Gingrich facing off. If any of you guys are interested in checking it out, I’ll paste the URL on here. You can vote by scrolling down and finding the poll on the left side of the screen. I don’t think you have to be a member to vote or anything. Anyway, here’s the URL:
http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/12/29/04349/114
Thanks for the heads-up…
Newt Gingrich? That sounds way off in left field – remember, this is the same guy who served his wife divorce papers when she was recuperating from surgery in the hospital, screamed about being in the back of Presidential One, and made a huge blunder in the shuttering of Congress.
A good example of a bloviating, narcissistic person who had one good idea (Contract with America), and proceeded to vastly overreach and overestimate his influence on the electorate.
At some point do you think the Times will realize that these stories actually help the administration–this one, for example, demonstrates that the NSA exercises self-oversight and is concerned with even the appearance of impropriety?
If they come to this conclusion they will probably stop publishing them and I’ll give up the positive press in favor of national security.
BTW, I voted for Gingrich earlier this morning. Tough choice between Giuliani, Allen and Newt. Went with Newt.
Dmac: Giuliani would face a similar dilemma…
Well, of those three, I gotta go with Rudy…
You mean they were serious about this? Geez.
Amazing, ain’t it?…
Hey, AE got a mention in Taranto’s column today. Congrats!
http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110007742
Hey, that IS cool…I’ve never had the honor. Way to go, AE…
Perhaps next the NYT will publish a piece on how silly the NSA’s secret monitoring techniques are, given how easy they are to circumvent. Why, all a terrorist organization needs to do to have secure communications is: …. fill in the details.
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According to Captain Ed “…The DNC web site generated persistent cookies that expired in 2033, according to Wizbang — until this Tuesday. Why do you suppose they suddenly changed their programming? Do you suppose that the AP may have tipped them off?”
And why do they expect everyone to have the same computer for the next 28 years?
Ha! Good point – never thought of that…