Obama seeks to track visitors to .gov websites

WorldNetDaily ^ | August 17, 2009 | not given

[tunedin]

WASHINGTON – The Barack Obama administration has announced plans to lift a government ban on tracking visitors to government websites, and potentially, collect their personal data through the use of "cookies" – an effort some suspect may already be in place on White House sites.

A ban on such tracking by the federal government on Internet users has been in place since 2000, however, the White House Office of Management and Budget now wants to lift the ban citing a "compelling need."

In fact, according to the Electronic Privacy and Information Center, federal agencies have already negotiated agreements and contracts with social networking sites like Google, YouTube, SlideShare, Facebook, AddThis, Blist, Flickr and VIMEO to collect information on visitors for federal web sites. All of these private companies are known to have agreements with federal agencies, but the public has never seen them.

[LibWhacker]

Don't forget Flash cookies. A sneaky new type of cookie. If you run Firefox, get and install the addon 'Better Privacy.' When I did that last week, I found hundreds of cookies I had been totally unaware of.

[Oldpuppymax]

A real threat! The ATF breaking in your door and confiscating weapons and ammunition; placing your name on a list which creates a NO during an NICS check prior to a gun purchase...these are very real threats to our liberty and safety. What would the average person do...sue? WHO?? Obama? Holder? Good luck with that.

[Paleo Conservative]

Just disable cookies on your browser.

What about selectively disabling cookies?

[Star Traveler]

You asked — Anyone have any idea what the file is or where one would find such a file on computer—I am assuming he is referring to something much less obvious than cookies....

—

I suspect he’s referring to cookies, actually. At any rate, they can track you through Google Analytics, through your IP number and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.

Well, there are a couple of things you can do about it, but it will require modifying something on your computer and the other way would be to use a proxy server designed for anonymity. But, most people don’t want to go through the trouble of it all...

You can see on Post #12, Google Analytics also tracks us here, too... but then again, some people have that done for good reasons...

And if you access a website, no matter a cookie or not (besides using an anonymous proxy server) the website owner is going to be able to track you down to your IP number, at any rate.

[Star Traveler]

You said — What about selectively disabling cookies?

—

Well, they can always use your IP number, too, unless you want to go through an anonymous proxy server...

[LibWhacker]

You can do that. But it won't help with Flash cookies, and they are the worst kind!

[Star Traveler]

You said — Don’t forget Flash cookies. A sneaky new type of cookie. If you run Firefox, get and install the addon ‘Better Privacy.’ When I did that last week, I found hundreds of cookies I had been totally unaware of.

—

Well, that’s one good reason for having an iPhone.... LOL... no “Flash” on it (or those nasty little cookies, either...) ... :-)

And you can do the same thing, if you want. Just get rid of Flash on your computer.

[Star Traveler]

You said — You can do that. But it won’t help with Flash cookies, and they are the worst kind!

—

Solution... delete Flash...

[Artemis Webb]

Why am I not surprised?

[brushcop]

I have no doubt there’s a lot of mischief going on with this computerized world we live in, a Fascist’s playground.

[B-Cause]

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We want Sarah!
Run Sarah Run!!

[Star Traveler]

Unless you get some anonymous proxy server, they can still track your IP number, regardless...

Of course, you can get a laptop, move around and use other access points, open WiFis and so on — cruise neighborhoods and use other people’s wireless access points and so on... LOL...

I guess if you’re serious enough about it and want to spend the time taking care of it, you can do it... :-)

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

These people are frightened. There must be more angry E-Mails than these clowns ever anticipated and make public. In addition, I speculate that White House internal polls show wide spread disaffection. The various left wing "Hate Groups" are claiming a rise in conservative groups. The aforementioned, once again, lead me to believe that these people are scared. The reaction of "The Divine One," his Apostles and Disciples is at yet unpredictable. Hence, I will apply the general rule "It is the cornered rat that bites!"

[LibWhacker]

Too late for me on that score. I’m too hooked on YouTube, playing games online, visiting gov’t sites, etc. :-(

[Sparko]

“Anyone have any idea what the file is or where one would find such a file on computer—I am assuming he is referring to something much less obvious than cookies.... “

He could be referring to Google Analytics or something similar.

For example, I noticed on the White House site:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

NoScript informs you there is a piece of code that is requesting permission to access a commercial site.

That site is

http://cetrk.com

Buddy B posted on it here
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2316014/posts?page=64#64

If you go to
http://cetrk.com
you get a rather sparse page.

But when you look at the source code on Whitehouse.gov you get the java script reference from cetrk.com and a reference to crazy egg

See

http://pocketseo.com/analytics/29

Here is the script
http://cetrk.com/pages/scripts/0010/4306.js

Shows you how code gets embedded for the purpose of helping the web owner find out who is doing what.

[Sparko]

Thanks for that. I will check it out.

[Sparko]

Thanks for that. I will check it out.

[Seven plus One]

I don’t care about that. Spyware of any description torques me pretty tight, though. Even a crummy tracking cookie. Anything that phones home without my knowledge has to stay off my computer.

[Star Traveler]

Try Anonymizer.... LOL.... (for the serious Internet hack...)...

http://www.anonymizer.com/enterprise/online-marketing-video.html
[an entertaining and informative video...]

The main site...
http://www.anonymizer.com/

[Star Traveler]

Well, it should be easy enough then... shut off all cookies on your web browser and then install a program that intercepts all outgoing Internet ports and clears them through you, first.

Software phones home all the time, as you probably know. I use the Macintosh and thus, I use “Little Snitch” for the item to intercept all outgoing Internet accesses. I can block everything going out if I want (through “Little Snitch”), but then if I did that, I wouldn’t be on the Internet any longer... LOL...

Anyway..., those two things will do it for you... (1) all cookies off, (2) clear all outgoing Internet connections through you first (through that software)....