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Anonymizer Press Release                                7/21/97
For Immediate Release
Contact:        Mark Hedges                     Anonymizer, Inc.
                (619) 667-7969 (ph)             8415 La Mesa Blvd. Ste. 3
                (619) 667-7966 (fx)             La Mesa, CA  91941
                hedges@infonex.com
ANONYMIZER: A WORLD-WIDE NECESSITY
Anonymous web surfing is the first line of defense against usage tracking,
monitoring, and invasive privacy violations by web site servers all over
the world. We asked our users to tell us why they use the Anonymizer.
"It's kinda like putting on a life vest before you take a ski ride.
Cautious and smart!"
"I feel the consumer should be able to choose whether and how their
personal information is used."
"I use it for visiting all but the most trusted sites. It's like surfing
with a roll cage and helmet."
"I am simply fed up with people shouting advertising in my face every day."
"I am a single woman...until recently, I felt secure on the Internet and
felt that most people were pretty okay...and in fact, most are...
unfortunately, I've found out the hard way that there are some crafty
individuals who seek to take advantage of people on the net."
"I use the Anonymizer for gathering general credit information without
tripping any potential outside queries; accessing blatant gonzo marketing
firms, accessing government information anonymously."
Many Anonymizer users are concerned about servers which directly invade
the privacy of their computer, and use it to protect themselves.
"I'm a French netsurfer and I've found there is an attack on the liberty of
man (in violation of the rights of man, the law of computing and French
liberties) in these Cookie programs which I think should be forbidden!"
(translated) Cookies are bits of data placed on your hard drive by a
server, often without your knowledge. Cookies can be seen by a server
later and can be used to track usage patterns, most often for
hyper-targeted advertising. The Anonymizer eats all cookies without
allowing them onto your computer. Other dangers are inherent in Java and
JavaScript, which can request a history of everywhere you've visited since
you started your browser. The Anonymizer stops this. A server can be
configured to automatically probe your machine for known security holes,
such as a recently revealed Windows 95 bug which could give a remote
machine access to your entire hard drive if you share files on a LAN,
including system passwords which are stored unencrypted in the system
registries. The Anonymizer puts a stop to all of these problems.
"I like the idea of surfing anonymously so that I don't have any cookies
placed in my hard drive without my knowing it."
"Anything I can do to keep my information out of the hands of those who
would distribute it to Internet advertisers is a good thing."
"There is already so much information in the public domain and so little
security to access what ought to be private, like AARP (American
Association of Retired Persons) knowing I was going to turn 50 this year:
they either got into Department of Motor Vehicles records or my Social
Security record; I have had virtually no contact with the legal system.
This keeps more fuel from being added to an already too big fire."
The Anonymizer not only protects your business, it allows you to do
business without interference on the Web. "I use Anonymizer to access
those otherwise public sites of our competitors who disallow access from
my company."
The Anonymizer allows the ultimate in democratic debate among citizens of
the world: free expression of your views in a public discussion forum
without fear that your opinion on the issues discussed will harm you in
other aspects of your life.
"I use the Anonymizer when I like to tell my opinion about political
problems in a forum of one of the great political parties in Germany. I
live in a region in Germany where the SPD (social democrats) has the
majority. If you [don't hold] the opinion of the SPD here, it could be, if
you work in the regional state, that you have difficulties in [getting] a
better job. That's democracy in Germany."
"I have a religious book service, and some of the sectarian groups I want
to track are downright nasty in their intolerance."
People think the situation could be better here in the United States, as
well. Many are worried about various factions of the government and what
they see as an invasive attitude.
"I use this form of searching because America, as it is now, does not
allow me to do much else privately (not even from my own home)."
"I don't agree with the intentions of [my dial-up access provider] to
check on my private matters, irrespective of their 'good' intentions...Is it
worth using Anonymizer if they can say, hey, this guy used Anonymizer, so
it is probably suspect what he is doing?" (We're working on that one!)
"I like to surf web sites that pertain to finances, government screw-ups,
and other stuff I don't want [the government] knowing about. I've always
wanted something to help keep my profile, shall I say, lowered? These days
you can't be too careful. I know, no software program is fool proof, but
I'll try anything that may give me an advantage toward privacy."
Copyright 1997 Anonymizer Incorporated. Customer comments used with expressed consent.