Mendham, New Jersey - June 13, 2000 - Guidescope, Inc. today warned Internet users to defend themselves against a fast-growing threat to their privacy: Web bugs. These tiny, invisible graphics, usually a single colorless dot on a screen, are used by Internet advertising companies to monitor people's movements in cyberspace, even on pages that carry no advertising. The graphic serves no purpose other than to make the browser send the advertising network a "cookie" containing a unique identification number. This number was previously assigned to the user's Web browser when a banner ad was displayed and allows tracking of the visit to the specific Web page where the bug was placed.

"A plague of Web bugs started this year, and they're eating away at our privacy," said Thomas Matheson, president of Guidescope, Inc. Guidescope's free service that blocks Internet advertising stops most Web bugs, Matheson claimed. "Many banner-blocking software products stop ads and Web bugs from DoubleClick and the other major ad networks," Matheson said. "But the list of other companies that have started to use Web bugs is getting very long, and it's a huge job to keep all that blocking information up-to-date." One feature of Guidescope's software that is being used to address this challenge is its option for users to block ads and Web bugs. These are automatically submitted to the Guidescope database of unwanted Web objects. Once the item is in the Guidescope database, it is filtered out for every Guidescope user, so all users receive the benefits of a growing collaborative database that is always up-to-date.

"Guidescope has escalated the arms race between privacy-enhancing consumer software and privacy-intrusive business technology to a real-time battle in cyberspace," said Jason Catlett, President of Junkbusters Corp., which has published free banner-blocking software for more than two years. "Guidescope is forming an online gated community where Internet privacy is enforced by a cyborg gatekeeper with a very long list of unwelcome visitors."

Web bugs are also known as "clear pixels" or "transparent GIFs" in the jargon of Web graphic formats, but were dubbed "Web bugs" by renowned independent security consultant Richard M. Smith of Brookline, Mass., who compared them to hidden microphones. More information on Web bugs is available at: http://www.junkbusters.com/news/#netad on the Web.

Guidescope also protects users' privacy by preventing browsers from leaking private information from one site, where a user might have filled out a form, to the next site visited. (All browsers transmit referrer information, which in some cases can accidentally cause leaks like this.) Several major companies have had incidents, including Intuit, as reported at: http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1562341.html or http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/cth489.htm on the Web.

By eliminating ads and Web bugs with Guidescope, users get the average Web page 1.5 times faster. The key to the Guidescope service is its database of Web advertisements, which it uses to filter out ads from Web sites users visit. Once the service is downloaded from the Guidescope Web site and installed, the Guidescope Menu appears in a small window on users' desktops. With a simple mouse click on the Start Block icon on the Guidescope Menu and a simple change to their browser configuration, users engage the powerful filter, and immediately begin to get Web sites faster. By clicking the Ad List icon, users can see a list of new ads, graphics and Web bugs that have recently been displayed on their screens and are given the opportunity to selectively block any or all of them.

Since its launch on May 22, Guidescope has filtered millions of ads for its fast-growing user community. Publications that have written about Guidescope include the New York Times, Dow Jones, and the direct marketing trade newspaper DM News.

Guidescope also helps consumers surf the Web easier with a simple, convenient user interface including one-click access to search engines, reference tools, and a powerful Web archive.

Guidescope Inc. is a privately held company offering the most technologically advanced ad- filtering solution available today. The Company was founded in early 2000 with the goal of helping individuals and businesses navigate the Web faster, safer, and easier. Guidescope uses unique, patent-pending technology to filter advertisements and other unwanted graphics from Web pages to speed access and increase privacy. Guidescope also offers a comprehensive, anonymous Opt-In service that gives its users control over the Web marketing messages they receive. Guidescope helps individuals enjoy the richness of the Web without the distraction, delays, and privacy risks caused by Internet advertisements. To learn more, visit Guidescope on the Web at www.guidescope.com.

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