Three popular browsers are working on new privacy features, including a do not track option. The features could improve privacy for web surfers, but it could also upset a major aspect of web advertising — and give users a false sense of security.
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Recently, the Mozilla Foundation announced that its Firefox browser will have an option for users to opt out of advertiser tracking. Such tracking allows an advertising network to determine which sites a user has visited and display ads accordingly. Mozilla’s implementation uses a HTTP do not track header, which the foundation said is a clearer and more universal opt-out mechanism than cookies or blacklists.
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‘Keep My Opt-Out’
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The blacklist refers to discussion by members of Congress about a do not track list of users that would parallel the existing do not call list that allows consumers to sign up and avoid most unsolicited telemarketing calls. The Federal Trade Commission last month called for a do not track option for consumers, as have various privacy and consumer watchdog groups.
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The Mozilla Foundation said a header approach is simpler than managing such a list, and is more persistent than cookie-based options. However, web sites and advertisers would have to recognize the header for it to work.
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Google has a different approach for its Chrome browser. Users can download a Keep My Opt Out extension, which, once installed, is intended to block any user tracking on sites. Microsoft has said it will offer a similar feature in Internet Explorer.
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Some consumer advocates have recommended that behavioral tracking require an opt-in, rather than requiring a web user to take some action to avoid being tracked.
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The prospect of these options, and their possible widespread adoption, has sent alarms through the advertising industry. An ad campaign for new cars that is addressed primarily to users who have visited several…