'Do Not Track'

Web Giants Adopt Privacy Button

After Google, Yahoo, and others had resisted push.

Several Internet giants, including Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL, are expected to adopt “do not track” buttons for their browsers. The button enables users to browse without their information being tracked. It’s a move they’ve been resisting for more than a year, and their reversal is being announced as part of the White House’s call for Congress to pass a “privacy bill of rights.” Critics, however, have urged the government to adopt a “do not track” mandate, rather than the voluntary guidelines the buttons follow. Furthermore, the buttons won’t stop all Web tracking. The companies have agreed to stop using data to customize ads, but say the data can still be used for “market research” and “product development.”