Just when users were gaining control over website cookies, and learning how they can be used to track users for both good and bad reasons, and how to remove the ones they consider invasive of their privacy, a company comes along and introduces to the masses a method whereby Flash shared objects can be used to restore deleted cookies and replicate their functionality by containing identification tags. The company with this new offering (called PIE or “Persistent Identification Element”), United Virtualities said they do not wish to see this new method used by unsavoury types and are talking to Mozilla foundation and other browser makers about allowing uses to control privacy with shared objects the same way they control cookies now. That begs the question: “If you can remove shared objects the same way you can remove cookies, what benefit does it offer for anybody over cookies in the first place?”
I’m a big fan of anonymity online. To reveal yourself online should be a personal choice, not something forced on users without their consent. And I look at this new development much the same way I viewed the PDF tracking story we covered earlier. Shared Objects can be used to personalise a users web experience, or they can be used to track users and develop user profiles by online advertisers to better deluge you in advertising. From the press release, United Virtualities seem to be targeting the product to advertisers, which to me can only be a bad sign, but time will tell right? Macromedia have a page on controlling your privacy in Flash with the settings manager that covers shared objects.
In other Flash related news, the Mozilla foundation has released a beta of a new improved pop-up blocker that adds the ability to block pop-ups caused by Flash and other similar plug-ins. Such pop-ups have become more common since Since Firefox and IE6 SP2 both already have blockers that will stop traditional pop-up windows. The new blocker is still beta and could block pop-ups that are necessary for some sites to function, (but you can white list sites that you wish to allow pop-ups from). You can try the new pop-up blocker by downloading the .xpi file, then go to “tools” ->”extensions” and then drag the saved XPI file into the extensions window and follow the prompts.
