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Although IE sucks, Microsoft is the only one to enable "Send Do Not Track" by default. Chrome and Firefox have this feature disabled.

john2x 12y ago
Chrome I expected, but why does Firefox have it disabled by default?
- burkaman 12y ago
  "As we have been arguing for a long time, the point of the feature is to reflect the individual’s preference, so the user must make a choice before we send any stance on tracking." https://blog.mozilla.org/privacy/2013/01/28/newdntui/ https://blog.mozilla.org/privacy/2013/01/28/newdntui/
- lostlogin 12y ago
  I'm cynical, but guess who pays the bills? http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/01/22/so-why-is-google-funding-its-own-competition-in-the-firefox-os/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/01/22/so-why-is...
erichurkman 12y ago
And the advertising industry used the default DNT status to justify ignoring DNT since it was no longer opted into by users. Then again, even before that DNT as an idea was dead – very few advertisers even signaled they were interested in user privacy.
- throwaway2048 12y ago
  Not making a statement on the validity or realisticalness of the DNT header, but the irony of advertising companies arguing that opt-out models are bad because they "dont reflect consumer choice" is rather amusing.
MBCook 12y ago
Hasn't Safari had this on by default for 2 years or so?
- interpol_p 12y ago
  It has Do Not Track enabled by default. Safari also blocks third party cookies by default on Mac and iOS.
  - glhaynes 12y ago
    Are you sure? My Mac has "Ask websites not to track me" set to off and my iOS devices have "Do Not Track" set to off, too. I don't believe I changed them.
    - interpol_p 12y ago
      I'm probably wrong — I must have enabled mine. I know the third party cookies thing is on by default, so maybe I confused it with Do Not Track.
      - masklinn 12y ago
        IIRC during the normal setup flow of either iOS or OSX (not sure which) I remember being asked if I wanted to enable DNT, but I don't think it was enabled by default.
mikelat 12y ago
Microsoft also disregarded the standard: http://www.w3.org/TR/tracking-dnt/#h2_determining http://www.w3.org/TR/tracking-dnt/#h2_determining Key to that notion of expression is that the signal sent MUST reflect the user's preference, not the choice of some vendor, institution, site, or network-imposed mechanism outside the user's control; this applies equally to both the general preference and exceptions. The basic principle is that a tracking preference expression is only transmitted when it reflects a deliberate choice by the user. In the absence of user choice, there is no tracking preference expressed. By automatically setting DNT when a user hits express, they have not specifically indicated they do not wish to be tracked, therefore making the setting on IE meaningless, so companies will not honor the header. IE10 does not even expicitly tell you they're turning on the setting, they just do it for you when you hit "Recommended privacy settings" which is highlighted by a large green checkmark icon. Just look at the disparity: http://www.futureofprivacy.org/2013/12/18/tracking-do-not-track-new-ad-network-data-shows-that-8-percent-of-users-have-dnt-on/ http://www.futureofprivacy.org/2013/12/18/tracking-do-not-tr... Compared to users on browsers that do not push DNT like IE does, only about 7% of users enable the feature, tops. Then 10x as much users have it enabled on IE10, the browser typically used by the not-so tech savvy. Unfortunately when the browser with one of the highest market shares does this, nobody tends to take do not track very seriously, especially tracking and advertising companies who will lose their competitive edge if they choose to not track half of their userbase. It doesn't matter what Microsoft's intentions were, but the end result is they made a mockery of the standard. EDIT: fyi, several analytical and tracking software suites such as piwik automatically disregard the DNT setting on only IE10+, while respecting the ones on other browsers. This ironically makes IE the less privacy conscious browser.
- anon1385 12y ago
  >several analytical and tracking software suites such as piwik automatically disregard the DNT setting on only IE10+, while respecting the ones on other browsers. This ironically makes IE the less privacy conscious browser. Similarly, by ignoring DNT Google and Co. just ensure that more people block their trackers and ads entirely.

john2x 12y ago

Chrome I expected, but why does Firefox have it disabled by default?

burkaman 12y ago
"As we have been arguing for a long time, the point of the feature is to reflect the individual’s preference, so the user must make a choice before we send any stance on tracking." https://blog.mozilla.org/privacy/2013/01/28/newdntui/ https://blog.mozilla.org/privacy/2013/01/28/newdntui/
lostlogin 12y ago
I'm cynical, but guess who pays the bills? http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/01/22/so-why-is-google-funding-its-own-competition-in-the-firefox-os/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/01/22/so-why-is...

erichurkman 12y ago

And the advertising industry used the default DNT status to justify ignoring DNT since it was no longer opted into by users. Then again, even before that DNT as an idea was dead – very few advertisers even signaled they were interested in user privacy.

throwaway2048 12y ago
Not making a statement on the validity or realisticalness of the DNT header, but the irony of advertising companies arguing that opt-out models are bad because they "dont reflect consumer choice" is rather amusing.

MBCook 12y ago

Hasn't Safari had this on by default for 2 years or so?

interpol_p 12y ago
It has Do Not Track enabled by default. Safari also blocks third party cookies by default on Mac and iOS.
- glhaynes 12y ago
  Are you sure? My Mac has "Ask websites not to track me" set to off and my iOS devices have "Do Not Track" set to off, too. I don't believe I changed them.
  - interpol_p 12y ago
    I'm probably wrong — I must have enabled mine. I know the third party cookies thing is on by default, so maybe I confused it with Do Not Track.
    - masklinn 12y ago
      IIRC during the normal setup flow of either iOS or OSX (not sure which) I remember being asked if I wanted to enable DNT, but I don't think it was enabled by default.

mikelat 12y ago

Microsoft also disregarded the standard: http://www.w3.org/TR/tracking-dnt/#h2_determining http://www.w3.org/TR/tracking-dnt/#h2_determining Key to that notion of expression is that the signal sent MUST reflect the user's preference, not the choice of some vendor, institution, site, or network-imposed mechanism outside the user's control; this applies equally to both the general preference and exceptions. The basic principle is that a tracking preference expression is only transmitted when it reflects a deliberate choice by the user. In the absence of user choice, there is no tracking preference expressed. By automatically setting DNT when a user hits express, they have not specifically indicated they do not wish to be tracked, therefore making the setting on IE meaningless, so companies will not honor the header. IE10 does not even expicitly tell you they're turning on the setting, they just do it for you when you hit "Recommended privacy settings" which is highlighted by a large green checkmark icon. Just look at the disparity: http://www.futureofprivacy.org/2013/12/18/tracking-do-not-track-new-ad-network-data-shows-that-8-percent-of-users-have-dnt-on/ http://www.futureofprivacy.org/2013/12/18/tracking-do-not-tr... Compared to users on browsers that do not push DNT like IE does, only about 7% of users enable the feature, tops. Then 10x as much users have it enabled on IE10, the browser typically used by the not-so tech savvy. Unfortunately when the browser with one of the highest market shares does this, nobody tends to take do not track very seriously, especially tracking and advertising companies who will lose their competitive edge if they choose to not track half of their userbase. It doesn't matter what Microsoft's intentions were, but the end result is they made a mockery of the standard. EDIT: fyi, several analytical and tracking software suites such as piwik automatically disregard the DNT setting on only IE10+, while respecting the ones on other browsers. This ironically makes IE the less privacy conscious browser.

anon1385 12y ago
>several analytical and tracking software suites such as piwik automatically disregard the DNT setting on only IE10+, while respecting the ones on other browsers. This ironically makes IE the less privacy conscious browser. Similarly, by ignoring DNT Google and Co. just ensure that more people block their trackers and ads entirely.