Yahoo! Withdraws DNT Support

Yahoo! has joined Google in expressing its frustration at the lack of progress on industry standards for Do Not Track requests (DNT), and is withdrawing the option for users to opt out of advertiser tracking in their browser settings.

As a result, advertisers can track users' online behaviour on Yahoo for ad targeting purposes, whether or not they have opted not to be tracked in privacy settings, according to www.thedrum.com .

The search firm and content provider said it regards personalisation as key to the web experience, and therefore needs to be able to track users' online behaviour. According to its blog: 'We work hard to provide our users with a highly personalised experience. We keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world.'

Yahoo was the first large tech company to implement Do Not Track, and says it has 'been at the heart of conversations surrounding how to develop the most user-friendly standard' but bemoans the failure to develop 'a single standard that is effective, easy to use and has been adopted by the broader tech industry.'

Among the other major Internet names, Facebook does not support DNT; Google's Chrome browser supports it but the company is said to have confirmed it does not respond to DNT requests; and Microsoft launched DNT settings in 2012 and still openly supports them.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.