Message-ID: <49C18A7A.1020708@nbnet.nb.ca>
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:57:46 -0300
From: Stephen Menard <smenard@...et.nb.ca>
To: nick@...us-l.demon.co.uk
Cc: Full Disclosure <full-disclosure@...ts.grok.org.uk>
Subject: Re: Google to base ads on surfing behaviour

NASTY  TRUTHFUL EVALUATION NICK

WATCHOUT FOR THE BLACK TRUCKS



Nick FitzGerald wrote:
> Bipin Gautam wrote:
>
>   
>> google is evil : http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39625962,00.htm
>>     
>
> That's news?    8-)
>
>   
>> "These ads will associate categories of interest " say sports,
>> gardening, cars, pets " with your browser, based on the types of sites
>> you visit and the pages you view,"
>> ...
>> As with any other cookie, this tracking file can be cleared by the
>> user at any time. By visiting Google's ad-preferences page, the user
>> can opt out of having their surfing habits tracked, or input their own
>> preferences for the subject matter of ads they would like to see.
>>
>> However, as clearing the browser's cookies would effectively remove
>> the opt-out cookie itself, Google has also released a plug-in for
>> browsers that provides a permanent opt-out from the service.
>> ...
>>     
>
> Whatever happened to "default deny"?
>
> Oh, that's right -- it wouldn't be in _Google's_ interest to require 
> surfers to opt into Google breaching their privacy.
>
> As the US government doesn't seem to care much, if at all, about 
> protecting the privacy rights of its citizens (in fact, do US citizens 
> actually have any legally-protected privacy rights worth talking about?), 
> perhaps the EU should step up here and fine the crap out of Google until 
> it "fixes" this latest egregious assault on our privacy...
>
> ...
>
> And would it be churlish to point out that Google is breaking its own 
> principles with this move?
>
> Bipin has already alluded to the much-vaunted "do no evil" doctrine 
> (actually, it is "You can make money without doing evil" -- point six at:
>
>    http://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html
>
> and arguably does not preclude "but you can make more money by doing 
> evil" if you read the whole thing), but there are others, perhaps most 
> pertinent here are in:
>
>    http://www.google.com/corporate/software_principles.html
>
>    Software Principles
>
>    At Google, we put a lot of thought into improving your online
>    experience.  We're alarmed by what we believe is a growing disregard
>    for your rights as computer users. We've seen increasing reports of
>    spyware and other applications that trick you in order to serve you
>    pop-up ads, connect your modem to expensive toll numbers or hijack
>    your browser from the site you're trying to visit.
>
> Yet it seems that it is acceptable for Google to breach reasonable 
> expectations of privacy "behind the scenes" (these principles seem aimed 
> at client-side, rather than server-side, shenanigans -- hmmmm...).
>
>    We do not see this trend reversing itself. In fact, it is getting
>    worse. As a provider of services and monetization for users,
>    advertisers and publishers on the Internet, we feel a responsibility
>
> ...to ensure those trends continue?
>
> No -- actually, it continues:
>
>    to be proactive about these issues. So, we have decided to take
>    action. As a first step, we have outlined a set of principles we
>    believe our industry should adopt and we're sharing them to foster
>    discussion and help solve the problem. We intend to follow these
>    guidelines ourselves with the applications we distribute (such as the
>    Google Toolbar and Google Desktop). And because we strongly believe
>    these principles are good for the industry and users worldwide, we
>    will encourage our current and prospective business partners to adopt
>    them as well.
>
> ...but again, we won't apply these principles to the service side of our 
> industry and actions.
>
> How gloriously myopic, or is that two-faced?
>
> The second of these proposed software principles is described thus:
>
>     UPFRONT DISCLOSURE
>
>    When an application is installed or enabled, it should inform you of
>    its principal and significant functions. And if the application makes
>    money by showing you advertising, it should clearly and conspicuously
>    explain this.  This information should be presented in a way that a
>    typical user will see and understand -- not buried in small print that
>    requires you to scroll. For example, if the application is paid for by
>    serving pop-up ads or sending your personal data to a third party,
>    that should be made clear to you.
>
> But, again, not if it's Google, DoubleClick, et al. twiddling bits on the 
> back-end...
>
> And a few sections later:
>
>    SNOOPING
>
>    If an application collects or transmits your personal information such
>    as your address, you should know. We believe you should be asked
>    explicitly for your permission in a manner that is obvious and clearly
>    states what information will be collected or transmitted. For more
>    detail, it should be easy to find a privacy policy that discloses how
>    the information will be used and whether it will be shared with third
>    parties.
>
> But, again, not if it's Google, DoubleClick, et al. twiddling bits on the 
> back-end...  
>
> ...
>
> And to add another security-related issue to this thread, I'd rather that 
> Google and DoubleClick spent some time and effort on fixing a couple of 
> DoubleClick's biggest problems rather than on adding AdSense tracking 
> integration to DoubleClick's cookie mechanisms.
>
> First is that DoubleClick really needs to work on not accepting "dodgy" 
> ads such as the "fake AV" ads and such they've been serving increasingly 
> often of late.
>
> Second, and much bigger, DoubleClick also needs to fix a huge security 
> flaw across the whole of doubleclick.com.  doubleclick.com is an open 
> redirector farm.  Depending on your school of thought, that might be 
> considered what is known in web app security circles as a form of cross-
> site scripting (or XSS) flaw.  This has been abused by spammers, phishers 
> and malware spreaders in the past and fixing it won't be trivial as the 
> whole DoubleClick business model is based on this behaviour and the 
> common, Q&D fix for this type of problem (referer-checking based 
> solutions) is unviable when the expected referrers are virtually any 
> domain on the planet (as required by DoubleClick's distributed ad serving 
> business model).  It took Google the best part of a decade to (mostly) 
> fix its own open redirector problems, but that should mean it can provide 
> some valuable input to its new stablemate...
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Nick FitzGerald
>
>
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>   

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