Firefox cookie

I just learned Firefox puts a cookie in place every time you open the browser. The cookie is named BBC.CO.UK. I have my browser set to clear privet data when I close it.

When I reopen it this cookie is there. If I delete it and close/reopen it's back.

Just what is this cookie?

What's your start page? Not bbc.co.uk, is it?

haha maybe it's another Pifts.exe, try and save that cookie, just in case firefox starts shutting down threads over it lol

I have no start page. Could someone who uses Firefox confirm this?

Originally posted by 22-250
I have no start page. Could someone who uses Firefox confirm this?

I use firefox, and don't get that cookie. are you in uk? as that's the website of the BBC.

reply to post by 22-250

No I don't get that one, I'm in the UK.

Do you use ANY kind of add-on for Firefox?

There are some add-ons that use cookies to gather the data for that specific add-on. Even if you delete it, as long as you use said add-on, the cookie will replenish itself each time firefox is loaded up.

You might have an RSS feed that goes to bbc.co.uk. Go into your bookmarks menu and delete all of the RSS feeds that you didn't subscribe to.

I never gave it a second thought until now -- that the Mozilla Foundation could be a Zionist front group.

I found out what this is, and it is from the BBC:

BBC-UID cookie

A unique identifier given to each computer to allow log analysis to determine the number of unique users for various parts of bbc.co.uk. Data is only used in aggregate.

But I don't understand why I get it, I don't visit BBC sites and have no add on's to Firefox.

OF COURSE Mozilla is at the very least collecting data from users and giving it to the NSA/CIA/FBI and whatever else. With the patriot act, they have to keep records of almost everything so if the gov comes and says, I need this from this day, they have it. Most believe it's being captured real time or uploaded throughout the day to gov. servers for storage.

This is real, google is also one of these companies. They track where you go if you allow. AOL, ALL OF THEM!!!

Remember the NSA tap into the ATT main hub? Remember PFITS.EXE? You must understand that "viruses" are only bad if they are not on the ok list.

Like PFITS.EXE taught us, who knows what they are doing if your firewall/anti-virus is pre-set to allow it.

Another idea, Myspace and Facebook, police used to have to keep records of who was friends with who. This way they knew that Bobby two fingers was friends with Joey bag of doughnuts and could press them for info if one went missing or was suspected of something.

Now they just sign onto myspace.

reply to post by breakingdradles


Thats all well and good, but it has nothing to do with the topic of what the specific cookie is for.

You could always start a thread about myspace and facebook, instead of derailing this one.

A cookie can only be set by the specific domain. It can also only be read by that specific domain. So if you have a cookie from BBC, then at some point something you have in your browser is connecting to that website.

Good luck finding out the origins of that cookie. You must in someway be connecting to that site somewhere.

Btw, as a programmer and someone who uses cookies on a regular basis, your concern over them is really unfounded. Although in this particular case it's a bit more interesting, as you don't know the source, which could point out another problem somewhere, the cookies in generally aren't a big privacy concern.

Tracking across ad networks is the biggest "danger", things like google ads where you are connecting to google over multiple sites etc, but as I mentioned before, for them to accurately track what you did, they would need to have code on every single page you ever visited. They would only be able to track you across sites where the ads are present(which is a good amount because they pay well).

If you ever used cookies, then you wouldn't be scared of them.

reply to post by badmedia



As a programmer, I'm sure that you know that browser glitches can be expoited to read cookies from other sites.

There is a reason to fear cookies: you don't know what site is using Google Syndication, and you don't even know what other advertising networks are out there. Besides, what good does it do to have cookies on your system anyway? That's why Americans are so fat and broke; everybody needs a reason not to include more unnecessary crap in their lives.

[edit on 18-3-2009 by vcwxvwligen]

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[edit on 18-3-2009 by vcwxvwligen]

Originally posted by breakingdradles
OF COURSE Mozilla is at the very least collecting data from users and giving it to the NSA/CIA/FBI and whatever else. With the patriot act, they have to keep records of almost everything so if the gov comes and says, I need this from this day, they have it. Most believe it's being captured real time or uploaded throughout the day to gov. servers for storage.

It's all very well to believe that, and accuse things like that for proprietary software, but Firefox is Open Source, and as such you can download the source code for Firefox. Good luck finding any specific thing that sends your data any specific place though.

developer.mozilla.org...

And, of course, if you do find said code, you can always remove it, compile your modified version, and as long as you don't use the Firefox logo, distribute it.