Because users are blocking third party cookies (anti-spyware software as well as broswer settings), companies are increasingly just using first party cookies – according to Wall Street Journal.

Webroot Software released a report last week saying that there is less adware (yay!), but the adware that still exists is more difficult to remove (boo!), according to Mediapost. The scariest part is that the new, tougher-to-remove adware is referred to in the report as "pernicious." Yikes!

And yes, the issue of cookies as spyware is raised in the report – on Webroot’s "watch list."

According to this eMarketer report, consumers are confused about exactly what cookies do – and whether they are a good or a bad thing. The result is that increasingly, consumers are beginning to delete their cookies – just to be safe. This might become a major problem for marketers.

Essentially, there are two conflicting forces that are creating the current cookie issues:

"First,
consumers are growing increasingly alarmed about online security.
Second, marketers are demanding more detailed ad measurement and
delivery, comprehensive user tracking through various stages of
Internet encounters, and proof of the effectiveness of ad targeting
based on user behavior—all of which involve cookies."

This article from The Globe and Mail echoes the same problem.