April 3rd, 2015
Verizon’s Mobile ‘Supercookies’ Seen as Threat to Privacy[1]
By: Christian Díaz Ordóñez
The issue of advertisement campaigns targeted at specific sectors of the consumer base will remain a controversial issue. Despite growing regulation and stronger position from governmental and judicial entities around the world, technology seems to be winning the battle in the struggle to obtain more information in a cheaper, faster, and more complete manner.
In the article above quoted, the authors discuss the need of stronger regulation for internet services. Perhaps this regulatory approach needs to be complemented by having better enforcement mechanisms targeted at each of the participants in the internet (i.e. not exclusively to companies as Google, but also to service providers), especially aimed at protecting privacy rights of all its users.
The article highlights a most troubling reality, as users are witnessing how their privacy rights are diminishing, and their alternatives to protect themselves only keep reducing. Users may no longer be “safe” by eliminating cookies from their browsers, but now they have to face the fact that there are super-cookies that simply cannot be eliminated. Big Brother 2.0.
Internet providers are getting an economic benefit by selling its users’ searching history, tendencies and information about their activities. Even if the question of privacy was left aside, from a strictly legal perspective, these companies are getting income with no consideration from their counterparties. The situation is challenging, to say the least, from every single legal perspective.
Even more troubling is the fact that Internet providers are also subject to hackers and other attack sources, thus leaving users’ information at high risk of being accessed by unscrupulous third parties. In addition, history has proven that these services providers are very prone to providing information to governmental entities without major questioning.
As a matter of principle, one must assume that governmental requests are made in pursuit of the greater good of security, and that government officials will refrain from incurring in the excessive use of power. Even if this was not the case, then the judicial “system” must be so thoroughly aligned so as to prevent, punish and deter the occurrence of such breaches.
Certainly, individual citizens may be afraid of an ever-intruding service providing entities, which may just store information of individuals for no apparently legal (or even ethical?) reasons. That fear has motivated revolutions and different constitutional and judicial changes that strive to protect one’s privacy. Individuals may fear that they may be discriminated against for race, sex, religion, political convictions, or otherwise, once the government has enough information to do so.
Nevertheless, this fear should, ideally, be non-existent in a well-functioning democracy. This fear should be non-existent in a democracy where institutions prevail over temporary shocks or crisis situations. This fear should be non-existent in a democracy where powers are properly balanced. The inherent worry still remains open and ever present.
[1] By NATASHA SINGER and BRIAN X. CHENJAN. 25, 2015. Available online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/technology/verizons-mobile-supercookies-seen-as-threat-to-privacy.html?_r=0