The growing use of cookie-like local shared objects--also known as Flash cookies--may force regulators to draft new restrictions if the technology is used to override consumer preferences and track their browsing habits, reports MediaPost. Because Flash cookies are not cleaned through the same process that deletes regular cookies, many consumers are unaware that their online movements are being tracked. Researcher Eric Peterson says use of Flash cookies should be disclosed in online privacy policies, but Future of Privacy Forum Director Jules Polonetsky, CIPP, says disclosure doesn't go far enough, and believes they should not be used as a tracking tool. "To use a mechanism that most users are unaware of to track them is extremely poor privacy behavior," Polonetsky says.
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