FC: Anti-MS trade association condemns browser cookie feature

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

CCIA is a trade association funded by Microsoft competitors such as Oracle 
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37349,00.html) that has done 
some nice work on copyright and limiting government surveillance 
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37448,00.html). It is also 
staunchly pro-MS breakup and has filed an amicus brief arguing for more 
than a two-way split. (http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,36551,00.html)

Here's somge background on the feature added last week:

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,37723,00.html
     Who's First on Cookie Features?
     Netscape's browser has allowed third-party
     cookie blocking for years. Is Microsoft's claim
     of a privacy first for Internet Explorer
     exaggerated? By Chris Oakes.

The press release below is complaining that to upgrade to the new browser, 
users must visit microsoft.com, and Gates & co may record information about 
the visit. That, CCIA says, is "anticompetitive."

(Let's ignore for the moment the lawsuit against Netscape for its smart 
browsing feature that tracks downloads too.) :)

-Declan



NEWS RELEASE
Contact:    Mary   Hewitt, 202-783-0070
            mhewitt () ccianet org / www.ccianet.org


              CCIA Cites concern Over Anticompetitive Impact
                    of Proposed Changes to Microsoft IE


Washington,  DC  July  20,  2000  ?  The Computer & Communications Industry

Association  (CCIA)  expressed  reservations  about today's announcement by

Microsoft  of  its plans to make available a patch to its Internet Explorer

web  browser  that  would  prompt  users whenever they visit a website that

attempts to drop a cookie from a third party.

     "This  looks very much like another effort by Microsoft to utilize its

monopoly  power in the Internet browser market to establish dominance in an

adjacent  market  -- namely, the market for personal data and information,"

Ed  Black,  President and CEO of CCIA said today.  "While CCIA has strongly

supported  industry-wide  efforts  to protect consumers' privacy, we do not

believe  that  such  information should be available without restriction to

some,  while  requiring  consumers to  "opt in" to providing information to

everyone else.

     "Because   the   Microsoft  website  is  the  central  repository  for

information  related  to its ubiquitous operating system, browser, security

patches,  and  bug  fixes,  most  PC  users  have  no  choice  but to visit

Microsoft.com,  and  it  has  become  the  most  visited  site  on the Web.

However,  Microsoft  should  not  be  allowed  to  take  advantage  of this

situation  to  collect information surreptitiously from computer users that

is unavailable to others without specific permission."

                                  #  #  #


      CCIA is an international, nonprofit association of technology,
telecommunications, and Internet firms, representing a broad cross-section
   of the industry.  CCIA is dedicated to preserving full, free and open
  competition throughout domestic and global markets.  Our members employ
  nearly a million workers and generate annual revenues in excess of $300
                                 billion.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology
To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------