Do Not Track Arriving at Yahoo!

Pete Prestipino — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Yahoo! is one of the first large Internet companies promising to honor the browser-based do-not-track headers.

The company announced last week that it will stop delivering ads and content to consumers that activate browser-based do-not-track features and will not create marketing profiles of those users.

Yahoo’s DNT solution has been in development since last year and, according to Yahoo, is implemented in-line with Digital Advertising Alliance’s (DAA) guidelines for the use of online behavioral advertising (also called “Interest-based” advertising) and multi-site data.

Do-not-track is particuarly challenging for companies like Yahoo! as not only is it a first-party publisher, but it also acts as a third-party ad network through its ad companies Right Media and Interclick. Yahoo!'s announcement comes the same week as the Federal Trade Commission released its final privacy report calling on ad networks to honor do-not-track requests.

How this will impact advertising costs and revenue for Yahoo! is unknown.

What is do-not-track?
Internet users with an up-to-date Web browser now have an option to set a do-not-track (DNT) preference in their browser. When the feature is activated, a signal is sent to servers collecting data.

When those services receive the DNT signal, it will activate Yahoo!'s opt-out process. According to the announcement, Yahoo will then no longer score activities for advertising or content interest and cease ad personalization and content personalization based on those interest scores.

Advertisers - Meet Your New Political Heroes

Mike Phillips — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:01:00 GMT

Do-Not-Track legislation has many advertisers worried about the implications of losing out on visitor data. In short, Do-Not-Track would eliminate the ability to serve targeted advertisements, among other things. But it looks as if a solution might be near.

Sens. John Kerry and John McCain have introduced a bill, titled Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights, that appears to find a sensible middle ground concerning Do-Not-Track legislation. In the bill, every company would have to give "robust and clear" notice that users can opt-out of any and all tracking mechanisms. And for some sensitive information, users would need to five their consent by opting in.

Most important is that the bill does not contain sweeping Do-Not-Track legislation.

“Americans have a right to decide how their information is collected, used, and distributed, and businesses deserve the certainty that comes with clear guidelines,” Kerry said. “Our bill makes fair information practices the rules of the road, gives Americans the assurance that their personal information is secure, and allows our information-driven economy to continue to thrive in today’s global market.”

It's been obvious for some time that data tracking was in need of legislation. But the major fight has been deciding what kind of legislation is appropriate. Consumer advocacy groups have pushed for blanket Do-Not-Track legislation, while advertisers and tech companies have sought something softer. Sens. Kerry and McCain might have found a solution.

See the Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights bill here.

'Net Features : do-not-track

Do Not Track Arriving at Yahoo!

Advertisers - Meet Your New Political Heroes