------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 19:04:31 -0500 (EST) Reply-to: love@tap.org From: James Love <love@tap.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <info-policy-notes> Subject: Sign-on Letter to IETF Re: Internet Cookies
----------------------------------------------------------------- Info-Policy-Notes - A newsletter available from listproc@tap.org ----------------------------------------------------------------- INFORMATION POLICY NOTES April 3, 1997
EPIC (http://www.epic.org), the Center for Media Education (http://tap.epn.org/cme/) and the Consumer Project on Technology (http://www.cptech.org) seek co-signatures on letter to Internet Engineering Task Force in support of technical standard to Protect Privacy and Limit Misuse of so called "Cookies."
The issue concerns technologies used by companies to surreptitiously collecting personal data while you (or your children) are browsing the Internet
Replies needed by April 5, 1997
Summary
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the Center for Media Education (CME), and the Consumer Project on Technology (CPT) are urging organizations concerned about privacy on the Internet to sign the following letter to the Internet Engineering Task Force. The letter urges the IETF to support a proposal already under consideration that will control the misuse of cookies and give Internet users better control over the collection and use of personal information. The reason that we are asking the Internet community to endorse the IETF proposal is because some online advertisers have recently started lobbying against the proposal.
The IETF is meeting on April 7 in Memphis. You must send your response by April 5.
Please send your endorsement to: James Love, at: love@tap.org
We will need the following data:
Name: ___________________________ title (optional) ___________________________ Affiliation (optional) ___________________________ Address (postal or Internet) ___________________________ Telephone: (for verification) ___________________________
Background Information
The Internet Engineering Task Force http://www.ietf.org/
IETF Proposal - RFC 2109 http://www.ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2109.txt
"DoubleClick Tries to Force Hand Into Cookie Jar," Wired News, March 17, 1997 http://www.wired.com/news/topframe/2929.html
"Browser Users to Watch Cookies" C|NET, MARCH 13, 1997 http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,8770,00.html
"Persistent Client State HTTP Cookies," Netscape http://home.netscape.com/newsref/std/cookie_spec.html
"That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles," HotWired http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/geektalk/96/45/index3a.html
"It Ain't All Cookies and Cream," Hot Wired http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/geektalk/96/53/index4a.html
"PGP Cookie.Cutter," Pretty Good Privacy, Inc. http://www.pgp.com/products/PGPcookie.cgi
The letter follows: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
To: Internet Engineering Task Force
Re: RFC 2109
We write to express support for RFC 2109, the proposal for an HTTP State Management Mechanism, to address privacy concerns associated with "cookies." The proposal will allow users to exercise greater control over the creation and collection of personal information resulting from transactions between web clients and web servers.
The proposal was published by the IETF on February 18 and is already in use on the Web. Netscape has indicated that Navigator 4.0 will incorporate part of the specification.
We believe that "transparency" -- the ability of users to see and exercise control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information -- is a critical guidelines for the development of sensible privacy practices on the Internet. The alternative would be the surreptitious collection of data without the ability to exercise any control.
We support adoption of RFC 2109. We believe it is important step forward in the protection of privacy on the Internet
Sincerely,
cc: Mr. Bill Gates, President, Microsoft Mr. Jim Barksdale, President, Netscape Mr. Nathan Mhyrvold, Chief Technical Officer, Microsoft Mr. Marc Andressen, Chief Technical Officer, Netscape
Mr. Ira Magaziner, the White House Commissioner Christine Varney, Federal Trade Commission
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