GAO Recommends Cookie Policy For U.S. Govt.

Jim Madison writes: "The General Accounting Office (GAO) has issued a report today 'Internet Privacy: Implementation of Federal Guidance for Agency Use of "Cookies".' In it, they recommended that Federal agencies abide by a four point standard for the use of cookies: (1) clear notice (2)compelling need (3) public stated privacy safeguards for tracking info, and (4) approval by agency head. Only 8 of 65 agencies they checked in the study use persistent cookies, of which 4 did not even have privacy policies and none met the entire 4 point test. All agencies have agreed to comply; it sounds like a step in the right direction to me at least. What's the harm in the government collecting that info anyway, right?" Personally, I think the government should have to ask nicely before gathering any information via cookies, like Sen. Robert Torricelli has proposed for private firms. Other than that, these guidelines seem blandly sensible.