Google is employing similar methods to get around the default privacy protections in IE and track IE users with cookies. We’ve found that Google bypasses the P3P Privacy Protection feature in IE. The result is similar to the recent reports of Google’s circumvention of privacy protections in Apple’s Safari Web browser.
By default, IE blocks third-party cookies unless the site presents a P3P Compact Policy Statement indicating how the site will use the cookie and that the site’s use does not include tracking the user.
Google’s P3P policy causes Internet Explorer to accept Google’s cookies even though the policy does not state Google’s intent.
Of course Google returned fire on MS starting that the folks at Redmond use a self-declaration protocol that dates back to 2002, and it is impractical for many sites to comply while providing modern web functionality. Further, Google says it isn’t just them that isn’t complying, citing a report from 2010 that found more than 11,000 websites aren’t issuing valid P3P policies.
The bigger question you have to wonder is if Google is intentionally trying to monitor these browser’s users or not. I wouldn’t be that surprised if they were to be honest. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft is doing the same exact thing.
The purpose of MS issuing the decree that Google is circumventing their security measures is simply a tactic, when combined with Google’s recent privacy policy changes, to further place distrust in Google and try to make Microsoft look like the good guys, I’d wager.
So what do you think? Is Google innocent of spying? Will this war end anytime soon, and in the long run with either of them prove to be the victor? Share your thoughts below.
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