Domestic Policy
Web Bugs: White House Web Site Uses Forbidden Cookies
Since this discovery Mr. Smith has been testing other government websites to find out which other parts of the U.S. government may be violating the rules and regulations pertaining to the use of cookies set forth by the Office of Management and Budget.
Mr. Smith has taken the steps of informing the White House that its web site has been issuing cookies on visitors’ computers. He advised he felt that the type of cookies distributed may contravene an Office of Management and Budget ban on the use of such tracking technology.
The White House has since advised that unbeknownst to the Bush administration, an outside contractor has been using Internet tracking technologies that may be prohibited to analyze usage and traffic patterns at the White House’s Web site.
White House’s Internet director David Almacy advised that an investigation into whether the cookie tracking practice is consistent with a 2003 policy from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget banning the use of most such tracking technologies at government sites. Almacy stated, “No one even knew it was happening…We’re going to work with the contractor to ensure that it’s consistent with the OMB policy.”
The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a 2003 memo advising that cookies will not allowed to be used on most government sites without the provision of a compelling need for them. The policy put in place states that a senior official must sign off on placing the cookie generating software on the websites, and the agency must admit to their use in the website privacy policy.
Do you feel any more violated by this revelation than you did by the NSA revelation?
White House Web Site Uses Forbidden Cookies Too
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5 comments for “Web Bugs: White House Web Site Uses Forbidden Cookies”
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Three points I think fall from this:
(1) his brings up the topic of accountability on behalf of government agencies, like that of the NSA.
(2) Where are the checks-and-balances here? How can one agency be so divorced from other agencies (or other powers) that this kind of eye watching goes on unchecked?
(3) If this slides because the NSA proclaims, “We didn’t know, it’s not our fault,” it would be ridiculous. This is ridiculous by comparison to all the citizen people who’ve been prosecuted and sent to jail for accidents they’ve made.
Societal complacency is not acceptable in this case and I hope we do what’s right in preventing this type of bugging in the future.
Pseudosig - http://www.farcereport.com
You bring up three very excellent points Pseudosig. The accountability issue is major, so also is the checks and balances. Your last point may be themost vital, what is the reason\excuse. We have heard the reason given tothe media to explain this mishap but what is really going on may be a different issue. I appreciate your thought provoking insight. Your opinions are greatly appreciated. I hope many individuals utilize our governement contacts link to contact their elected officials and voice their opinions.
This has me fired up, if we find this out, what are’nt we learning. When will it end and what is the purpose? How can Repubs support this?
As displayed by our recent poll on the subject, many are concerned about the issue of cookies andweb bugs. However, there are others who feel this steps are o.k. because it provides us with safety and security. I guess there is a balance that must be struck with this issue. However, the question is how far can the government go before our rights are being infringed on. This is definitely a very convoluted subject with no real easy answers.
I don’t really think that it is appropriate to classify the White House or NSA use of browser cookies as “web bugs”. Since when have Internet browser cookies been considered “bugs”? Almost all websites use them for one thing or another…heck Voteswagon uses them. It just depends on what they are used for (Voteswagon uses them for the weekly poll and login/user features).
The issue is that governement sites have regulations barring the use of browser cookies (just for the reasons you are concerned about — privacy), and these sites disregarded the ban and had them in place anyways.
Was it an honest mistake? Maybe. But given the Bush Administration’s recent domestic spying revelation among other things…I doubt it.