Privacy Defense Mounted
Eleven of the nation’s largest website operators defended their privacy practices to lawmakers, saying it is impossible for them to monitor all the tracking technologies their sites install on visitors’ computers.
The operators, including Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) and AOL Inc. (AOL), say they are improving disclosures about online tracking and offering users more ways to protect their privacy. But they say that eliminating tracking is technically difficult and economically impractical, because the targeted advertisements supported by tracking allow the operators to offer free content.
“It is technically impossible for Yahoo! to be aware of all software or files that may be installed on a user’s computer when they visit our site,” Anne Toth, Yahoo’s vice president of global policy and head of privacy, wrote to U.S. Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas).
