Use Security and Privacy Features in Internet Explorer 6
Published: August 24, 2001
Internet Explorer 6 in Windows XP helps protect your privacy on the Web by giving you more control over cookies and more information on a Web site's privacy policy.
A cookie is a small text file created by a Web site and stored on your computer so that next time you visit, the site can automatically access information about you, such as your browsing preferences, or your name, address, and phone number. There are several types of cookies, and with Internet Explorer 6 you can choose whether to allow some, none, or all of them on your computer.
A Web site's privacy policy tells you what kind of information the site collects, to whom it gives that information, and how it uses the information. Many Web sites provide a privacy statement or a Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) policy that you can view with Internet Explorer 6.
To view a Web site's P3P privacy policy
1. | In Internet Explorer, on the View menu, click Privacy Report. |
2. | Double–click the Web site for which you want to view the privacy policy. |
3. | Although Internet Explorer can display a Web site's P3P privacy policy, Internet Explorer cannot verify that the Web site complies with its own privacy policy. |
After reviewing the P3P privacy policy, you can specify how you want Internet Explorer to handle cookies from the selected Web site. If you want Internet Explorer to determine whether or not to allow this Web site to save cookies on your computer by comparing the privacy policy with your privacy settings, select Use my privacy settings. If you want Internet Explorer to always allow cookies from this Web site to be saved on your computer, select Always allow this site to use cookies. If you want Internet Explorer to never allow cookies from this Web site to be saved on your computer, select Never allow this site to use cookies.
To change your privacy settings
1. | In Internet Explorer, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options. |
2. | On the Privacy tab, move the slider up for a higher level of privacy or down for a lower level of privacy. Block all cookies | | • | Cookies from all Web sites will be blocked | | • | Existing cookies on your computer cannot be read by Web sites |
| High | | • | Cookies from all Web sites that do not have a compact policy (a condensed computer–readable privacy statement) will be blocked | | • | Cookies from all Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your explicit consent will be blocked |
| Medium High | | • | Cookies from third–party Web sites that do not have a compact policy (a condensed computer–readable privacy statement) will be blocked | | • | Cookies from third–party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your explicit consent will be blocked | | • | Cookies from first–party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your implicit consent will be blocked |
| Medium | | • | Cookies from third–party Web sites that do not have a compact policy (a condensed computer–readable privacy statement) will be blocked | | • | Cookies from third–party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your implicit consent will be blocked | | • | Cookies from first–party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your implicit consent will be deleted from your computer when you close Internet Explorer |
| Low | | • | Cookies from third–party Web sites that do not have a compact policy (a condensed computer–readable privacy statement) will be blocked | | • | Cookies from third–party Web sites that use your personally identifiable information without your implicit consent will be deleted from your computer when you close Internet Explorer |
| Accept all cookies | | • | All cookies will be saved on your computer | | • | Existing cookies on your computer can be read by the Web sites that created them |
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