EPIC complaint against ask.com to FTC

Dear all, 

EPIC filed a complaint against ask.com before the FTC to complain 
about the opt-out cookie they provide.
http://epic.org/privacy/ask/epic_askeraser_011908.pdf

Ask.com provides a new privacy feature called AskEraser:
http://sp.ask.com/en/docs/about/askeraser.shtml

It is very interesting to see that on the one hand, a search company 
uses privacy as a competitive advantage. On the other hand it is 
surprising to see how they tried to implement it. Using a technology 
for stateful services to provide privacy is somewhat antagonistic. 
EPIC's complaint bases mostly on this antagonism. 

My wishful thinking would have been that ASK tries out the numerous 
privacy technologies allowing for anonymous credentials and not a 
cookie individualizing a preference.

Best, 

-- 
Rigo Wenning            W3C/ERCIM
Staff Counsel           Privacy Activity Lead
mail:rigo@w3.org        2004, Routes des Lucioles
http://www.w3.org/      F-06902 Sophia Antipolis