Flash Cookies, a Little-Known Privacy Threat

Flash Cookies, a Little-Known Privacy Threat 225

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @02:43PM from the flashblock-considered-mandatory dept.

Wiini recommends a blog posting exploring Flash cookies, a little-known threat to privacy, and how you can get control of them. 98% of browsers have Macromedia Flash Player installed, and the cookies it enables have some interesting properties. They have no expiration date; they store 100 KB of data by default, with an unlimited maximum; they can't be deleted by your browser; and they send previous visit information and history, by default, without your permission. I was amazed at some of the sites, not visited in a year or more, that still had Flash cookies on my machine. Here's the user-unfriendly GUI for deleting them, one at a time, each one requiring confirmation.

Flash Cookies, a Little-Known Privacy Threat

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Flash cookies (Score:5, Funny)

by MyLongNickName ( 822545 ) writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @02:49PM (#25372553) Journal

I flashed my cookies once and did a weekend in the slammer.

Re:Welcome (Score:5, Funny)

by AKAImBatman ( 238306 ) * writes: <akaimbatman@gmaYEATSil.com minus poet> on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @02:59PM (#25372715) Homepage Journal

If you think I'm new here, you must be new here... ;-)

Re:Welcome (Score:5, Funny)

by Drooling Iguana ( 61479 ) writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @03:10PM (#25372905)

In geological terms, we're all new here.

Re:Flash cookies (Score:4, Funny)

by MyLongNickName ( 822545 ) writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @03:19PM (#25373013) Journal

Talk about a privacy threat!

Re:And this ... (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @03:50PM (#25373453)

Photons are also used by Advertisers. Thats why I ripped my eyes out.

Re:And this ... (Score:5, Funny)

by elrous0 ( 869638 ) * writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @04:00PM (#25373597)

And I'm even better than you because I use an Apple computer, don't even own a TV, and only listen to indie music. You should smell my flowery farts!

Re:Don't allow sites to store stuff on your machin (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @04:09PM (#25373729)

Mod parent "OldManOnPorchWithShotgun"

Re:Old News (Score:3, Funny)

by marxmarv ( 30295 ) writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @04:37PM (#25374111) Homepage

SQL database in the browser? Oh christ. It's like emacs all over again.

Re:Welcome (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @04:40PM (#25374149)

Yes, and topologically, we're all donuts.

Re:Macromedia? (Score:3, Funny)

by josath ( 460165 ) writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @08:44PM (#25376935) Homepage

Give him a break, that acquisition was only announced three and a half years ago, he may not have heard about it yet. I mean, he's just now hearing about the "flash cookies" which have been around for like six years.

I can't find my C: drive (Score:2, Funny)

by baomike ( 143457 ) writes: on Tuesday October 14, 2008 @11:01PM (#25378051)

Who should I contact?
Is this a serious problem?

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Flash Cookies, a Little-Known Privacy Threat 225

Flash Cookies, a Little-Known Privacy Threat More Login

Flash Cookies, a Little-Known Privacy Threat

Flash cookies (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Welcome (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Welcome (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Flash cookies (Score:4, Funny)

Re:And this ... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:And this ... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Don't allow sites to store stuff on your machin (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Old News (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Welcome (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Macromedia? (Score:3, Funny)

I can't find my C: drive (Score:2, Funny)

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