A Right to Online Privacy?

Yes, because many sites use cookies to set your privacy preferences. Without the cookies, a Web site has no idea what level of privacy you've previously chosen. In addition, there are new types of cookies are harder to clear that aren't removed by the usual methods.

Also, many online opt-out preferences -- a choice you've previously made to not be included in something the Web site is doing, selling or offering -- are operated via cookies; as soon as you clear your cookies, the Web site won't recognize your previous opt-out choice.

Wait... there's more. Other technologies are able to re-identify your computer after you clear your cookies by installing cookies that are even harder to remove that the first batch.

Such new technologies are inevitable; we need new user-empowerment tools that reflect the new techniques used for user identification and allow consumers to better control how, when and where their information is used.

Deleting cookies doesn't make you completely invisible online. However, since many Web sites rely on cookies for identifying and interacting with individual users, deleting cookies will probably reduce the number of firms that "track" your browsing habits. But your IP address still uniquely identifies your PC, along with any personally identifiable information you choose to submit.

Government, to us, is the greatest threat to your privacy online (often even opting out of government information collection is not an option), and Washington is undeterred by cookie deletion. For example, data retention mandates can require your ISP to log every computer you connect to online. It's entirely possible that there exists a government data repository somewhere containing information about you that goes beyond that normally found in cookies.