Re: draft-ietf-http-state-mgmt-03.txt
Dave Kristol (dmk@allegra.att.com)
Thu, 1 Aug 96 10:01:54 EDT
Bill Sommerfeld <sommerfeld@apollo.hp.com> writes:
> The "security considerations" section of the draft does not include
> any text regarding privacy concerns.
That's hardly true. Section 7 is entitled PRIVACY; its first subsection,
7.1 is entitled "User Agent Control".
>
> Here's some suggested text:
>
> PRIVACY CONCERNS:
>
> The protocol described in this draft can be used to keep track of the
> browsing habits of a user without the user's knowledge or permission.
> Many people consider this to be an unethical invasion of privacy.
>
> Any HTTP client implementing this protocol MUST provide at least three
> options for the user:
> 1) disable cookies entirely.
> 2) ask the user before setting a cookie.
> 3) set cookies without asking the user.
These are enumerated, in slightly different terms, in 7.1.
>
> The default "out of the box" behavior of the client MUST NOT be #3.
>
> Any HTTP client should provide a way for the user to know which
> cookies are associated with a given page.
The thrust of the privacy considerations throughout the document is
to give the user control. But I have to agree with Benjamin Franz
(<snowhare@netimages.com>) that user agent behavior is outside the
IETF's purview. IETF can specify protocols, and they/we do that to
ensure interoperation. I believe user agent behavior can be suggested
(we do), and then we have to rely on public (and, dare I say it,
marketplace) pressure to shine a spotlight on implementations that
pose a risk to users' privacy.
Dave Kristol