Cookies Pegged as Privacy Threat

NEW YORK Well over half of users believe Internet tracking cookies invade their privacy, according to a new poll.

In a survey of 150 Internet users, 64 percent said cookies represent an invasion of their privacy. The poll was conducted by online ad network Blue Lithium, which recruited participants through banner ads.

The survey is the latest sign of trouble for Internet cookies, which are employed by Web advertisers and publishers to anonymously track users to target ads and measure their effectiveness.

Web advertisers and publishers have held that consumers concerned about cookies invading their privacy don't fully understand how they work. The Blue Lithium survey, however, found 83 percent of respondents claim they are familiar with cookies. Many consumers are not aware of the benefits of cookies, which can be used to keep passwords and personalization features at Web sites: 52 percent said they preferred to use the Internet with cookies disabled.

Various surveys have pegged the cookie-deletion rate by users at between 39 percent and 50 percent. Thirty-nine percent of respondents to Blue Lithium's survey said they deleted their cookies on a weekly basis and 25 percent do so monthly. Fifty-two percent said they disabled cookies before shopping online, fearing they could be used to collect personal data.