IE 10 will be the default browser that rolls out with Windows 8, and they announced that they will enable the “Do Not Track (DNT)” feature by default. DNT mode is a setting that allows users to stop web applications from tracking their online behavior – which also happens to be very valuable information for advertisers.
A Do Not Track option will protect your privacy from things like stop social button tracking, opt-out of targeted advertisers, and block data-profiling companies. DNT can stop ad networks and social networks from collecting data about what you read, what you click, and what you buy online.
Google recently had to pay a $22.5 million dollar fine for violating privacy laws when it tracked cookies of Safari users. And currently, Google’s browser Chrome is one of the main browsers that does not still have the option to turn DNT on or off, rather users must install a Chrome extension, Do Not Track Plus. Firefox 14 and Safari 6 both have option to disable browser tracking right in the preferences. It seems unlikely that Chrome will enable DNT by default given that so much of Google’s revenue is generated by ad dollars.
There’s also a bit of a debate over what “Do Not Track” even means – in terms of collecting information vs. using the information for targeted ads. It seems like the online privacy debate is still in the early stages, but with the bold move by Microsoft IE10 to enable DNT by default just what are they trying to prove? Are they attempting to hurt Google or set a new standard for user privacy?
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