Will the digital cookies crumble?

I like advertising. It supports broadcasters and introduces you to services you might find useful.

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But with the digital revolution came a different kind of ad. It’s an ad that can follow you — more than follow you — it can stalk you like a zombie from website to website.

And the whole system depends on bits of code on your computer called cookies which track what you browse on the Internet. These cookies often come from websites you never actually visited – sometimes with really interesting results.

For example, depending on which articles you clicked on during the Charlottesville coverage you may have ended up getting an ad for Nazi souvenirs. In fact, Facebook’s tracking software, as it was analyzing the stuff people click on, automatically created a demographic profile called “Jew Haters.” Companies could buy access to that audience, and secretly plant their cookies. The category was deleted after Pro-Publica ran an article about it.

But now Apple has decided to strike a blow for privacy. The latest version of Apple’s Safari browser is designed to purge most of these un-requested cookies after 24 hours.

And that has advertisers upset because it takes more than 24 hours to figure out who you are. They’ve fired off a letter to Apple complaining that this would make the advertising experience more generic and less timely.

Well, I’m sorry about that. But considering how much of our personal information is now under the control of these little zombie cookies maybe it’s time for a browser that eats their brains.

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