More on Pentium III Processor ID's

[Greg Peisert <gpeisert@jamesgregory.com>]

From: 

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___Privacy Groups Threaten To Boycott Intel___
As Intel prepares for the Feb. 26 launch of its Pentium III 
processor, privacy groups are threatening to boycott the 
company for putting a unique serial identification number on 
each chip; they're also asking the Federal Trade Commission 
to take action. The groups charge that the number on each 
Pentium III could be seen remotely by marketers or anyone 
else who might want to eavesdrop on a user's browsing 
habits.

Due to concerns by the Electronic Privacy Information Center 
and Junkbusters Corp., Intel decided two weeks ago that PC 
vendors could sell their systems with the processor ID 
turned off in a default mode. Users would then have the 
option to turn on the processor ID through controls in the 
operating system. Intel gave each processor an ID number 
because of numerous requests from IS managers, a spokesman 
says. It's designed for IS managers to more easily track PCs 
and identify remote users in large group communications over 
the Internet in instances where a password may have slipped 
into the wrong hands.

But the privacy groups are not pleased with the arrangement. 
"It's out of Intel's hands," says Jason Catlett, president 
of Junkbusters, in Green Brook, N.J. "It's up to the PC 
manufacturers and Microsoft." Catlett, who is also 
encouraging other activist groups to lobby the FTC, is 
concerned that software makers will want the ID turned on 
for copyright protection. "Software would be installed for a 
particular machine," he says. "So if you move your hard 
drive to another machine, it won't run." He also charges 
that it will be difficult for users to turn the ID off and 
on without rebooting. But Intel promises a download that 
will solve that problem.  -- Tom Davey

For more on Pentium III, see "Pentium III Apps To Debut"
http://www.informationweek.com/721/pentium.htm