{"id":11,"date":"2011-01-23T14:37:52","date_gmt":"2011-01-23T21:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/privacy\/?p=11"},"modified":"2016-01-19T14:23:22","modified_gmt":"2016-01-19T22:23:22","slug":"more-choice-and-control-over-online-tracking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/netpolicy\/2011\/01\/23\/more-choice-and-control-over-online-tracking\/","title":{"rendered":"More Choice and Control Over Online Tracking"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do Not Track: Mozilla’s latest effort to put users in control of their web experience.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The web is evolving quickly in how information about people is collected, used and shared online. We believe it’s crucial to put people in control of their personal web interactions and experiences, as previously articulated in my post on our draft Privacy & Data Operating Principles<\/a>. In particular, we’re seeking ways to provide Firefox<\/a> users a deeper understanding of and control over the flow of personal information online.<\/p>\n

We’re pleased to be able to share one of these efforts today in the area known as “Do Not Track,” which is best understood in current policy discussions to provide a way for people to opt-out of online behavioral advertising (OBA).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>As the first of many steps, we are proposing a feature that allows users to set a browser preference that will broadcast their desire to opt-out of third party, advertising-based tracking by transmitting a Do Not Track HTTP header with every click or page view in Firefox. When the feature is enabled and users turn it on, web sites will be told by Firefox that a user would like to opt-out of OBA. We believe the header-based approach has the potential to be better for the web in the long run because it is a clearer and more universal opt-out mechanism than cookies or blacklists.<\/p>\n

The Do Not Track header builds on the work the advertising networks have done to date without the cookie-based systems they make available to people online. The advantages to the header technique are that it is less complex and simple to locate and use, it is more persistent than cookie-based solutions, and it doesn’t rely on user’s finding and loading lists of ad networks and advertisers to work. We’re not the only ones who think this approach makes sense. The FTC calls for a “more uniform and comprehensive consumer choice mechanism for online behavioral advertising. In addition, the HTTP header technique has been proposed before (see the good work by donottrack.us<\/a> and the UBAO<\/a> add-on).<\/p>\n

The challenge with adding this to the header is that it requires both browsers and sites to implement it to be fully effective. Mozilla recognizes the chicken and egg problem and we are taking the step of proposing that this feature be considered for upcoming releases of Firefox.<\/p>\n

My colleagues are posting our proposal to the Mozilla community today for discussion, along with the technical patch to be considered for implementation in Firefox. We are also committed to working with the technical community to standardize the header across the industry. We ask that sites and advertisers join with us to recognize this new header and honor people\u2019s privacy choices just as they are with opt-outs for OBA.<\/p>\n

Additional Posts from Mozilla on DNT<\/strong><\/p>\n