Northern Hills Homeowner's Association

FAA Spying on Web Users

Oct 28, 2000

from AERO NEWS SERVICE

The FAA (plus at least twelve other federal agencies) is using cookies to spy on your use of their website, according to a General Accounting
Office study obtained by the Associated Press.
''How can this administration talk about protecting privacy when its own agencies jeopardize some of the public's most private information?'' asked Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs
Committee.

As recently as June, it was made clear that federal agencies cannot employ cookies without approval from the agency's head. Even with that
permission (which apparently not one of the sneaky agencies has obtained), the site must proclaim the use of cookies, giving site
visitors "clear and conspicuous notice" that cookies are in use.

None of the offending agencies, including the FAA, even officially admitted they were using cookies. [Just so you know, the Boston Globe reports that the US Forest Service sells the information to private parties! Oh, yes, you can trust the government to do what's right; and it never lies to us, either. --ed.]

NEWS SUMMARY
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