Do Not Track
Do Not Track (DNT) is a formerly official HTTP header field, designed to allow internet users to opt out of tracking by websites—which includes the collection of data regarding a user's activity across multiple distinct contexts, and the retention, use, or sharing of data derived from that activity outside the context in which it occurred.
The Do Not Track header was originally proposed in 2009 by researchers Christopher Soghoian and Sid Stamm. Mozilla Firefox became the first browser to implement the feature. The header didn't find widespread success due to the lack of legislation that would require companies to legally respect the Do Not Track header and most companies and websites not respecting the header when sent by the user.
In 2020, a coalition of US-based internet companies announced the Global Privacy Control header that spiritually succeeds Do Not Track header. The creators hope that this new header will meet the definition of "user-enabled global privacy controls" defined by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In this case, the new header would be automatically strengthened by existing laws and companies would be required to honor it.
See also
- Blur (browser extension)
- P3P
- Evil bit
- List of HTTP header fields § Common non-standard request headers
- HTTP cookie §§ Privacy and Third-party cookie
- Better Business Bureau
- Data & Marketing Association