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Spywear Cookies

(8 Posts)
TheresaFarrell Mon 16-May-11 14:08:43

Hi
I am deeply upset and angry as I am a private person and am extreemly careful on and offline. I never agree or opt in to any thing that would share or sell on my data. I have NO layalty or reward cards becasue this allows retailers to track and moniot your on and off line lifestyle and build profiles based on your preferences and sell this on to others .. I woul dnot allow this if I was give 1000 pounds let alone a few pionts, howver at least these so called Loyalt crds ( makes me laugh as loyalty is reserved for your frinds/family/community and country but not some faceless conglomarate retailer perhps pwned by Private Equity ... At least with loyalty cards you are given the option to join, no one forces you to d o this
I need to warn you that on line some retailers are using spywear type cookies that embed themseves deeply into your architecture and according to Which ( Who I trust) and the BBC these cookies are monitoring/tracking/taging what we are doing and furthr more according to the privacy regulator
ICO if they are pushed and infected with out you onsent and without your knowledge or opt inthen this is a breach of the privacy rules. Sadly inspite of my very careful appraoch I have become a victim but as I said WITHOUT my consent so an innocent victim. Debenhams and Late Rooms are both using spyware cookies and they do not have the ability to switch off... this means it is down to you the consumer to either buy in the expertiese or to attmpt to do it your selves. I have reserached the mattter and in particular via Which and they state that to turn off these cooklies are a rael challenge. I am not sure what the consumer can do to protect themsleves given this is happending with out our knowledge and consent, maybe in advance we need to check with website that they will not infect with unwanted cookies or compalin to the obaord as I have done and now the ICO are investigating as it appears they ahve breached the privacy rules relating to cookies
These cookies are of NO benefit to us the consumer, they INTERRUPt/Take over the screen with rolling and flashing photos, you have NO control and can not turn them off ( no close x icon or button) anyone using your computer ( family or friends) will see images/photos of websites and or products/devices/hotles etc that you have been researching. Do let meknow if you have been infected and what you plan to do

nanafrancis Mon 16-May-11 14:22:52

My virus scanner automatically deletes all tracking cookies when it runs an auto scan.
If you go onto the lower menu bar of internet explorer and find 'tools' 'internet options' 'browsing history' that allows you to delete cookies, your browsing history and other such things.

nanafrancis Mon 16-May-11 14:24:27

Sorry - forgot to add there are programs you can run to remove spyware in general. Microsoft do one - look on their website. Ad-aware is another and its free!

twizzle Mon 16-May-11 14:27:27

Try AVG - it's another free one.

TheresaFarrell Tue 17-May-11 11:31:42

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13345545

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/mar/03/which-security-concerns-flash-cookies
http://blogs.reuters.com/prism-money/2011/05/11/consumer-groups-embrace-do-not-track-bill/

Above is some of the articles and explains why consumers cona NOT fully remove and why browser is no tsufficient to properly deactivate these nasty things.

milliej Tue 17-May-11 14:49:17

Youngsters who think anyone over err ...45/50? should look at this website (and this thread) then they'd realise we're not over the hill as they may think!
Big grin
There are ways of deleting cookies and I do it regularly (I use Firefox/Yahoo) it means re-entering some data when I log on again but better safe than sorry!

I too have anti-spyware and regularly do a scan and check as I had a trojan once and what a mess, was at the shop being 'fixed' for a week! Don't want another! (nasty people!).

Well done ladies smile

supernana Tue 17-May-11 15:29:34

milliej I assumed that I was sending off postage for a FREE sample of wonder-face-cream from USA. Had £70 taken from bank account! Contacted face-cream lab...Trojan got in and ensuing long distance phone calls plus chap to fix the computer cost us dear. Happy ending when lab refunded the £70...never did get a free sample...'tis true, you don't get owt for nowt! blush

milliej Tue 17-May-11 15:43:09

I had that too years ago, trying to help my eldest daughter get a new birth certificate as she lost hers and as she was born abroad......anyway.....I didn't have a clue did I, good job I learn quick! Sent off £50 yes ....but it was a scam and the website belonged to someone in France (best not say too much there grin ). I got onto the office of fair trading and other 'bods' but I never got my money back. Eventually got her birth certificate for £11!

Nowadays I shop on line quite frequently but only to 'trusted sites'. There are some really nasty, thieving, couldn't care less people out there! TUT! angry