Cookies + Privacy = Endorsement
Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra's proposal to allow federal agencies to track visitors on government websites using persistent cookies got an unexpected boost from an unexpected source: The New York Times. But The Times, in an editorial, backing came with a proviso: privacy guarantees.
In an editorial, The Times wrote that tracking technology such as cookies can help improve the quality of websites by monitoring how many people visit and how they use the site, and by personalizing the experience. For example, the editorial said, the Parks Service could offer information based on where a user lives. But as some critics of the proposal have pointed out, as did The Times, cookies could indefinitely maintain records of users' activities and transactions on government websites. It's a concern Kundra contends is unfounded, and one The Times felt must be addressed by the Office of Management and Budget, from where Kundra presides over federal IT.
(OMB) must promise that tracking data will be used only for the purpose it was collected for: if someone orders a pamphlet on living with cancer, it should not end up in a general database. Information should be purged regularly and as quickly as possible. These rules must apply to third parties that operate on government sites.
The Obama administration is working to better harness the power of the Internet to deliver government services. That is good. But it needs to be mindful that people should be able to get help and be assured that their privacy is being vigilantly protected.
I have little doubt that privacy protection will be built into any new cookie policy.