MS Wants To Identify All Web Surfers

[safan80]

taken from /.

New Scientist reports on a technology Microsoft is developing to identify users based on their browsing habits. Quote: 'The software could get its raw information from a number of sources, including a new type of 'cookie' program that records the pages visited. Alternatively, it could use your PC's own cache of web pages, or proxy servers could maintain records of sites visited. So far it can only guess gender and age with any accuracy,' but the aim is to be able to identify name, occupation and location as well. On a related note, The Inquirer reports on Microsoft's plans to widen the use of its identity-verification technology CardSpace, which is built into Windows Vista and available as an add-on to XP. It's being envisioned as an identity solution for the entire internet: says Kim Cameron, pioneer of the technology, 'We feel it has to solve all use cases.' (Aha, so the anonymous use cases, too, eh?) One might ask, with all of this user-ID information on hand, how long will it be until the Feds come knocking on Microsoft's door asking for help? They already have.

[n00b 0f l337]

The catagory of Pervert is going to fill up awfully quickly.

[Lu523]

The catagory of Pervert is going to fill up awfully quickly.

I could call a few others that may fill up faster.

[Super strokey]

Does this seem kinda creepy and way too big brother to anyone else?

[SewerSide]

Does this seem kinda creepy and way too big brother to anyone else?

Pre-2002 yes
These days, no

[[XC] Lead Head]

Ummm...We already have this. Its called spyware.

[STEvil]

Yay, spyware with my OS before I can even connect to the net!

[Eastcoasthandle]

taken from /.

Isn't this part of the reason why they released vista? Isn't there something similar (although written differently) found in the Vista Eula?

Off of Memory:
Section 7. Internet Based Services, part A and part B

[xenolith]

Ummm...We already have this. Its called spyware.

Yup. I bet everyone here has a doubleclick cookie on their PC. It keeps track of everywhere you go online and seems impossible to get rid of. Doubleclick is owned by Google.

And Google wants even more control or your daily life.

[AzraelDarkangel]

Doubleclick annoys the F*** out of me, it takes them longer to load than all the :banana::banana::banana::banana: pics I look at, lol. They are freakin everywhere too. Don't worry, within several years you won't be able to use any computer without proving your identity and having all your actions being monitored for anything illegal 24/7. I'm surprised they don't have fingerprint scanners on all new computers by now, that way minors wouldn't be able to lie about their age to access :banana::banana::banana::banana: unless it (said computer with identity fingerprint scanner) was 1st activated by an adult. Of course the next step after that is fingerprint scanners built into the keyboard itself so every word you type can be directly linked to your identity and any adult content dynamically censored if I child is instantly detected using a computer, etc.

[halo112358]

It sounds like you doubleclick haters could seriously benefit from adblock plus and some combination of easylist and filterset.G.

I've forgotten what banner ads even look like, I haven't seen one in two years.

I'm surprised they don't have fingerprint scanners on all new computers by now, that way minors wouldn't be able to lie about their age to access :banana::banana::banana::banana: unless it (said computer with identity fingerprint scanner) was 1st activated by an adult.

Then you run into the problem South Africa had when the put biometrics on their cars - people stop carjacking and instead chop off your hand so they can steal the car.

You haven't addressed the real problem, you've just changed the outcome.

[Ashraf]

Well, nobody likes spyware, but there is nothing you can do with it. If you have nothing to hide, you are good. Just be cautious and smart while using a computer.

[AzraelDarkangel]

It sounds like you doubleclick haters could seriously benefit from adblock plus and some combination of easylist and filterset.G.

I've forgotten what banner ads even look like, I haven't seen one in two years.



Then you run into the problem South Africa had when the put biometrics on their cars - people stop carjacking and instead chop off your hand so they can steal the car.

You haven't addressed the real problem, you've just changed the outcome.

Thanks for the Firefox extensions tips, very nice, just installed them. What's "the real problem" anyway? Are you afraid kids would chop off your hand to look at :banana::banana::banana::banana:? lol! Actually, I'm personally against censorship, sex and nudity is normal and natural and I don't see any reason to hide it from persons below some magical age (18). It's the Christians, Muslims and most modern religions of the last few milleniums that made it a naughty dirty thing.

[nn_step]

The catagory of Pervert is going to fill up awfully quickly.

Depends entirely how you define pervert...
For example in the old days someone who liked to so women in their undergarments would have definitely been called a pervert.
These days, it is called someone who likes to go to the beach

Pre-2002 yes
These days, no

One would think your sense of freedom and liberty would not become more narrow as time goes along. Like the frog in the pot that is slowly boiling, just because it isn't instantly hot doesn't mean you wont cook alive...

Thanks for the Firefox extensions tips, very nice, just installed them. What's "the real problem" anyway? Are you afraid kids would chop off your hand to look at :banana::banana::banana::banana:? lol! Actually, I'm personally against censorship, sex and nudity is normal and natural and I don't see any reason to hide it from persons below some magical age (18). It's the Christians, Muslims and most modern religions of the last few milleniums that made it a naughty dirty thing.

Let us be realistic, those who want to watch :banana::banana::banana::banana: will. One way or another...

[grudgelord]

Like the frog in the pot that is slowly boiling, just because it isn't instantly hot doesn't mean you wont cook alive...

This has to be one of the most apt analogies I've read regarding the issue. Very nice.

Stolen for sig if you don't mind.

[XSAlliN]

I have weird feeling about this, a new IT revolution - internet based will come in near future. FBI & M$ just opened Pandora's Box - which might turn in an internet holocaust, since today this(the internet) is the most common source of information/collaboration/transaction/etc - not just personal, even business related (especially).

PS.You can't expect them to invade your personal virtual life, whit out any consequence - the Internet Freaks will rise once again, but this time they are 100x more evolved then before. To bad we (the innocent ones) will be caught in the middle.

[[XC] Teroedni]

Will that mean that all future version of Internet Explorer can be considered spyware

[XSAlliN]

Will that mean that all future version of Internet Explorer can be considered spyware

Worst, might be an APOCALYPSE for Windows users, unles they build a protection for personal data agaynts this imoral acts.

PS.We're not all pedophile, you know.

[turbox997]

eh, it's time to become a linux power user, =P

[AzraelDarkangel]

Let us be realistic, those who want to watch :banana::banana::banana::banana: will. One way or another...

Yup, like me starting around 15 or 16yrs old, which would have been around 92' or 93'. That's what really got me interested in computers in the 1st place, Newsgroups. Before web browsers when most people used Telnet to chat on bulletin boards. Back then it was a pain because you had to download the pics then run them through a program, uencode or something, whatever it was called, to turn the file into an image file. Took me like 20 min to get a dozen or so pics. BTW, many of the pics back then were completely illegal, bestiality, child :banana::banana::banana::banana:, and snuff/torture/rape. Maybe that's why I'm so demented from looking at those when I was 15 and 16yrs old, lol.

[Frank M]

I was thinking of using a VM off linux just yesterday, and thought how paranoid
that would be
Today, after seeing this, I'd just call it safe and forward-thinking

[perry_78]

It'll be fun to use Ubuntu I think. The CD is here waiting for me.

[Order]

It sounds like you doubleclick haters could seriously benefit from adblock plus and some combination of easylist and filterset.G.

Damn right.

[Rock&Roll]

If MS does this, there is a great likelihood that I will use Ubuntu for all of my internet browsing activities. (In fact, I probably should be doing that already) Bottom line, I don't want somebody tracking me for any reason, even if it's just to see what vendors or news sites I visit the most.

[Kaze06]

Oh how I long for the pre-DRM/WGA/Let's spy on all of our ing customers days.