New Cookie Rules, April 7

The White House early next month plans to change a federal Web site policy that bans tracking devices called cookies, which many commercial sites use to customize their pages for users, administration officials said on Tuesday.

As part of comprehensive guidance called for under a December directive, the Office of Management and Budget on April 7 will resolve regulatory barriers to open government, including the current cookie policy, Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra said in an interview with Nextgov. For privacy reasons, existing policy bars federal sites from using persistent cookies, or files deposited on a user's computer to collect information about personal preferences and other statistics to enhance interaction.

The directive instructed agencies on steps they must take to improve transparency, civic participation and public-private interaction in government, largely by using technology. One step is a review and repair of existing policies, such as the cookie policy, that impede open government and the use of new technologies. Many agency Web managers and even White House officials have argued that the present policy prevents the government from engaging citizens.

Kundra also said the April guidance will include specific rules for agencies on reporting subaward spending. Lawmakers and the Government Accountability Office have criticized the administration for failing to comply with a law requiring that subaward data be posted on USAspending.gov, a searchable site that is supposed to include details on all federal awards.