Microsoft’s ‘Do Not Track’ Stance Weakens?

June 8, 2012 Source: AdExchanger

Microsoft's decision to enable the Do-Not-Track setting in Internet Explorer 10 by default has caused controversy and outrage among the divided World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). In light of this move by Microsoft, major players Google, Adobe, and Yahoo have argued that sites and networks should be able to ignore IE-10 opt-outs. However, aside from this volatile faction, there appears to be a consensus among W3C members that DNT users themselves must explicitly consent to a tracking signal. The debate rages on – read more from AdExchanger.

Members of a key online standards body are hashing out what to do about Microsoft's controversial decision to ship Internet Explorer 10 with the Do-Not-Track setting turned "on" by default.

On a conference call yesterday, representatives of three member companies in the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) "tracking protection" working group argued forcefully that Microsoft's position, if sustained, would void websites' obligation to honor DNT signals issued by the IE 10 browser. Google, Yahoo, and Adobe made the case that sites and networks should be entitled to ignore the IE 10 tracking opt-outs.

The working group is tasked with, among other things, creating specifications for how DNT should be implemented by browser makers; and implicit in that mandate is the question of how consumer tracking preferences are treated by websites and ad networks. The group includes browser makers, publishers, ad industry associations, and privacy advocates.
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