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NSA Caught With The Cookies

Posted by Zonk on from the blue-furry-monster-questioned dept.

zardo writes "The associated press is reporting that the NSA is putting cookies on visiting computers. Apparently it is unlawful for the government to put anything but a session cookie out unless it's expressed in the site's privacy policy." From the article: "Don Weber, an NSA spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday that the cookie use resulted from a recent software upgrade. Normally, the site uses temporary, permissible cookies that are automatically deleted when users close their Web browsers, he said, but the software in use shipped with persistent cookies already on. ... In a 2003 memo, the White House's Office of Management and Budget prohibits federal agencies from using persistent cookies _ those that aren't automatically deleted right away _ unless there is a 'compelling need.' A senior official must sign off on any such use, and an agency that uses them must disclose and detail their use in its privacy policy."

9 of 329 comments (clear)

  1. Perfectly understandable by MyNymWasTaken · · Score: 5, Funny

    Because we know that the people in that agency, even more so their IT dept., know absolutely nothing about how computers work.

  2. Unlawful??? by ferrellcat · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Unlawful"???

    "NSA"???

    Did I mistakenly click on a link for the Onion?

  3. Re:I call shenanigans. by doormat · · Score: 5, Funny

    So either one or both agencies in question are simply incompetent, or lying to us. Which do you think is more plausible?

    What, cant it be both?

    --
    The Doormat

    If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
  4. Next up: NSA keeping logfiles by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    NSA has configured their webserver to track visitors in a "LOG" file. They keep the time, your ip address, where you visit, your browser and other information. What are they doing with this, you ask? They are ... MAKING STATISTICAL GRAPHS!!!! Alert Drudge, alert the New York Times... this baby's about to break wide open.

  5. What do I care? by Eli+Gottlieb · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why Baath would Iraq I be kill on insurgency the Hamas NSA's London website Israel anyway?

    1. Re:What do I care? by Geoffreyerffoeg · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't be-libya. Yemen not know this, but iran a server farsi NSA some time back. Oman, did they have some syrias records about people. Holy shi'ite, kuwait until the press hears this. There israeli going to be allah-t of complaining sometime sunni.

  6. Cookies? by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow! I got cookies from my mom, my aunt, and my cow-orkers, but I didn't know NSA was doing that. That's nice of them. I'll have to visit their site and pick up some.

    --
    Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
  7. I hear that... by Scratch-O-Matic · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hear that NSA mail servers have also been decoding headers on all email received, including from the general public!

    --


    Evil is the money of root.
  8. Re:No right to privacy with the war on terror by WolfZombie · · Score: 4, Funny

    I see no problem with dropping cookies... just don't violate the 5 second rule when you pick them up.

    --
    Cheesy Movie Night