Dr Fiona Ellis-Chadwick’s upcoming OUBS Breakfast Briefing ‘Managing in Digital Markets’ on 25th April follows hot on the heels of a Guardian newspaper report that the average large UK website leaves no fewer than 14 tracking files (known as ‘cookies’) on your computer each time you visit it. See the full story here.
Cookies are small text files which websites leave on your computer so that they know who you are for next time you visit. This means, for example, that a website like Amazon can remember what you’ve bought in the past, and make recommendations on your next visit — just like your local bookseller might do in the real world if you’re a regular customer.
- Yummy — but are they good for you?
But are cookies really so innocuous?
These days they are not only used by the websites you visit, but shared with other businesses that you might know nothing about. According to the wonderfully-named Chris Babel who heads privacy consultancy TRUSTe (now there’s an 21st century business idea), a third of websites share their tracking information with third parties on a commercial basis. It’s a bit like that local bookseller slyly phoning the garden centre to tip them off that you’ve been browsing the vegetarian cookery books, and then emailing the garage to let them know you’ve bought a car maintenance manual, etc. etc.
Website owners say it makes browsing a better experience, as you get more of the information you want as the system ‘learns’ your tastes and interests. Perhaps they have a point. Furthermore, they display privacy policies that set it all out for you to read — at an average length of over two thousand words (yawn!). Finally, you can always set your browser not to store cookies — at the cost of a lot of valuable functionality.
You could argue that cookies are an innocent way for digital marketers to personalise their offers to to individual customers. Or you could argue that they are an insidious invasion of basic privacy.
What do you think?
I must admit that since I found out what cookies are and what they do (the web variety, not those in the photo) I’ve been a bit undecided. Anything that improves the web browsing experience gets my vote. But the privacy issue is a bit worrying. On the other hand, supposing Amazon, Tesco et al do get to know that I am a vegetarian and I like rock music, does that matter? I am very good at declining offers that don’t interest me and don’t get that upset about it. (Unlike ‘would you take a few minutes to complete our on-line survey’ – that drives me crazy!)