CIA caught using illegal tracking cookies!

www.cbsnews.com...


The "external context" function will not work, so I will just copy-paste the article.

The CIA removed software from one of its Web sites this week after a private group discovered that the agency was using banned Internet tracking technology called "cookies," said Mike Stepp, who manages the CIA's public Web site.

"It was a mistake on our part. It was not intentional," Stepp said Tuesday. "The public does not need to be concerned that the CIA is tracking them. We're a bit busy to be doing that."

"There is no evidence that the CIA was in fact using personal information against people or even collecting it," said CBS News Technology Consultant Larry Magid, "but the mere fact that they could collect it, that they had put these cookies on people's hard drives, is a violation of their stated privacy policy, and it's good that they're changing the practice."

Cookies are small software files often placed on computers without a person's knowledge. The files can make Internet browsing more convenient by letting sites distinguish user preferences, but they have been criticized for violating privacy because they can track Web surfing.

The government issued strict rules for how federal agencies may use

I don't think that came as a surprise.


I wonder: Is the CIA tracking YOU?




An advise for everyone: delete your cookies and use Tor

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[edit: added external source tags]
Mod Edit: New External Source Tags – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 1-4-2008 by 12m8keall2c]

And have a look at the excuses they made; it's just PATHETIC!

"It was a mistake on our part. It was not intentional," Stepp said Tuesday. "The public does not need to be concerned that the CIA is tracking them. We're a bit busy to be doing that."

Not intentional? Too busy to be tracking the sheeple? Nice try.



I mean, COME ON, the CIA mafia was caught RED-HANDED!!!


And they expect the people to ACTUALLY BUY the pathetic excuse???



Watch out, protect your privacy, kill your cookies, block your cookies, use Tor!

"There is no evidence that the CIA was in fact using personal information against people or even collecting it,"

You actually believe that?

The CIA is above such activity, they let the hicks past Dulles at the NSA do the dirty work.

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but...

CIA Caught Sneaking Cookies
Spy Agency's Site Put Cookies On Surfers' Computers

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2002

There are several threads circulating the boards on this topic. Oddly enough, I can't seem to find them via the Google Search tool. 'magine that.

Anyway, I just thought I'd point out the date/timeframe in case some missed it.

 

Totally cool post!

Other cookies: I bet by 2012 babies born in a hospital won't be released unless the famous 666 computer chip is put in them for tracking and a bar code is tatooed on them for monitoring like they do on cars going through a toll booth.

In Europe on of the big businesses is when you walk by a Macy's for example, a text sales message comes up on you phone to buy something at Macy's.

I guess the next step would be embedding a small speaker into a baby's ear before releasing them from the hospital as a 'warning system' to nationally broadcast 'alerts'

To avoid suspicion do the obvious, and get caught. Resolve the issue and put the public mind at ease and do "other things" all the while. Imagine that.

Don't click the following unless you want to know from the CIA on the CIA websites what the "stated official and current" cookie policy is: CIA Site Policy Re: Cookies and the policy text:

Cookies
A cookie is a text file placed on the hard drive of a computer by some Web pages or Web servers. Cookies cannot run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. They are uniquely assigned to a visitor and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie. Visitors can accept cookies (generally their browser's default setting) or decline them through their browser settings. Persistent cookies remain on a computer's hard drive until the visitor deletes them. Session cookies are deleted automatically when the visitor closes his or her browser.

In compliance with Office of Management and Budget policy, the Central Intelligence Agency Web site does not set persistent cookies on visitors' computers. However, the CIA Web site does set session cookies on visitors' computers as follows:

A session cookie is set when a visitor first visits the CIA home page. This cookie ensures the words “Central Intelligence Agency” in the CIA home page banner -- and the accompanying sound effects -- play only once per browser session.

ForeSee Results conducts a visitor survey to help CIA recruiters evaluate the usefulness of the CIA Careers page to visitors. ForeSee Results' survey mechanism uses a session cookie to track how many Careers pages each visitor views. A percentage of visitors are offered an opportunity to complete a survey after viewing several pages. ForeSee Results uses the session cookie to track how many pages a visitor views and to ensure the visitor is presented the survey only once during a browser session. Neither the CIA nor ForeSee Results collects personal information from visitors completing the survey nor will either track any visitor once they have left the CIA Careers Web site.

Imagine that.

Speak'

Honestly I think this is exactly what they said it was....a mistake this time. You would be surprised at how many people that work at these agencies don't know if they are violating security procedures.I doubt the CIA is using tracking cookies to monitor peoples web surfing habits.I am sure they are using some much more up to date if you will technologies, some of I know of for a fact.I would not worry about this one in my opinion.

They must have the time of their lives when my lil girl goes online to do the Dora the Explorer games on cbeebies, i dont care if they track my activities all they are gonna get is shoppin hints and ebay searches, and as for going to sites like ATS nothing illegal here,

It is just a waste of money IMO.

Originally posted by azzllin
nothing illegal here,

I'm not harping you at all. But, since when did we as a people decide that seeking information was illegal?

Edit: Note I said information. Kiddie pern is a totally different ballgame.

[edit on 4/1/2008 by Griff]

reply to post by thetruth777


In light of all I know about the CIA and Senior Command in our Military, this is nothing compared to what they are doing that no one has found out about.

Trust me when I say that NO CRIMINAL MIND, NO HACKER could or ever has committed more crimes, more hacks and viruses, both Cyber Viruses and those that kill people than our own wonderful CIA. If anyone were to ask what are the most ruthless group of criminals on the planet, it is not the Muslim Terrorists or Al Al Qaeda or the KGB or Mossad (although Mossad is a close second) it is the CIA. These are very bad guys in suits and sheep's clothing.

There are also a secret society of closet homosexuals, as is Hayden.

If anyone thinks the CIA isn't the creator and educator of cyber terrorism, imagine how bad what we already know and have caught them doing and imagine that is just the tip of the ice berg. These are very bad guys. And they are not even part of the USA. Just like the Federal Reserve, they answer to a Secret Government...probably the CFR.

Those rotten bastards!!

Oh wait, that was six years ago...

No telling what they're up to now!!

Why doesn't someone clean their cookies out and than go on a bunch of gov't and CIA sites (as much as possible) and than see if they have any cookies? That seems like a rather simple way to check if they really did stop doing it or not. I'm not sure this'll get too much accomplished however.

Originally posted by thetruth777
An advise for everyone: delete your cookies and use Tor

Just as likely that TOR is a CIA entrapment sys!

I have heard stranger things, haven't you?

Safe surfing S_G

Originally posted by screamo
Why doesn't someone clean their cookies out and than go on a bunch of gov't and CIA sites (as much as possible) and than see if they have any cookies? That seems like a rather simple way to check if they really did stop doing it or not. I'm not sure this'll get too much accomplished however.

Ok you got a good idea there...........I nominate.........ummmmmm........no.......no......maybe......no......yes....yes you....hehe just kidding.,but really think about what you just said there.

Ive said this before, but I know about stuff when it comes to websites and I will tell you that there is no way its an accident. Something like that just doesnt slip by without the owner knowing. Why cant the site owner or whoever coded it be put onto trial? Oh wait its the CIA they can do whatever they want.

reply to post by screamo


I did. It is exactly as advertised. Imagine. Cookies do have your user login name from your PC right? LOL. The CIA has a page for Kids... young kids.

That's a little young? K-5th Gr? It won't matter I suppose. I can't "see" any cookies other than "atscookie@abovetopsecret[1].txt, [2] and [3]". My windows login UN is ATSCookie. LOL.

Speak'

reply to post by SpeakEasyOne


Spy Kids!!

Somebody oughta do a movie...

reply to post by screamo


If you did that, you'd wind up getting more than cookies!

BTW, welcome to ATS!

Originally posted by SpeakEasyOne
reply to post by screamo

 

I did. It is exactly as advertised. Imagine. Cookies do have your user login name from your PC right? LOL. The CIA has a page for Kids... young kids.

That's a little young? K-5th Gr? It won't matter I suppose. I can't "see" any cookies other than "atscookie@abovetopsecret[1].txt, [2] and [3]". My windows login UN is ATSCookie. LOL.

Speak'

That's obvious why you don't see cookies from the CIA site. They REMOVED the cookies after being accused. If you are accused of doing something, you usually don't go around doing it 3 days later.

You can turn cookies off in your browser, unfortunately most web sites use them and you will pretty much exclude yourself from most of the internet by doing it.
It is not illegal. I do loathe the practice. But there are much less savory individuals then the CIA tracking your habits right now.

I have always kept my cookies set to delete after i close my browser.I can wait the extra 1/3 of a second more for a website or page or picture to load up.