Does subscribing to AB open you up to having Spyware dropped into your computer?

[buildersmate]

Does anyone else suspect that AB is responsible for dropping Spyware that monitors web-usage onto PCs? Not suggesting its malicious - the sort that web marketing organisations use.

[fo3nix]

In a word... no.

[rojash]

Absolutely not - and if I thought so, I would not be here!

[jake-the-peg]

Well it's a bit more complicated than that - If you're using ie6 Go to View Privacy report

you'll see all the urls on answerbanks' page.

Note Google-analytics.com/urchin.js

This monitors you - see here:

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/11/prevent-goo gle-analytics-from-tracking.html

You'll similarly notice a cookie from tradedoubler.com when you go to another website that has a tradedoubler cookie - tradedoubler can see that you've been here.

These techniques do not generally gather any specific detail on you as an individual but as you say marketing organisations find them useful.

If you want to stop things like tradedoubler go to tools - internet options - privacy - advanced - override the default and select block third party cookies.

Yes it's well hidden and there's a good reason it is

[fo3nix]

Most websites use some sort of statistics app, like Google Analytics. I use it myself. But it's a far cry from spyware.

[jake-the-peg]

Well that's why I say it's more complicated.

I don't think most people understand just how much their movements around the web are monitored and the way the privacy options in IE have been designed make it particularly tricky to disable.

Would you think it acceptableif a satellite navigation system that you'd bought followed your movements without your knowledge and sold that information on?

Because I wouldn't and that's exactly what tracking cookies do

[buildersmate]

Thanks Jake (and Fo3nix). That helps me understand - I reckoned they were tracking cookies - the likes of img.shopping, pagead2, ads.uknetguide and impgb.tradedoubler. Personally I think AB should make it clear they do this. I thought they got their money from the adverts and links and adverts. Spybot catches them - I delete them and they just reappear. Can I stop them being put there?

[jake-the-peg]

yep see here:

3rd party cookies to block

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/cookies.htm

[fo3nix]

The cookies aren't really getting personal information though; google analytics and the like just see what browser you're using, what screen res. you have, etc. I agree there is some privacy concern, but it won't be sharing your name anything else more personal to you.

[jake-the-peg]

That's not necessarily true

http://www.junkbusters.com/cgi-bin/privacy

[fo3nix]

I still don't think web cookies are anything to fear from. True spyware is what people should be concerned about.

[buildersmate]

So, technical gurus, how can I differentiate between what I generically referred to as Spyware - which are actually (mostly) tracking cookies and other things that programs like Spybot pick-up and warn my about?
It sounds like you both are saying tracking cookies aren't generally bad for my PC's health (but its my risk), but there's clearly a bunch of other bad infections I might catch out there.

[fo3nix]

Well there are many programs that contain 'proper' spyware that report back anything it can about your system: what programs you have installed, maybe even your name etc. Those are bad things, and if your spyware scanner ever picks those up, you should remove them.

Cookies on websites do technically infringe your privacy: it allows google and others to see what browser you're using, what screen res. you have, etc. But I personally don't really care about those things: any website can get access to those things, so it's part of the web. They're also required for many online stores, etc. Delete them if you want, but there won't really be any harm done if you don't.