Google Releases Do Not Track for Chrome

The latest automatic update for Google Chrome (version 23) was rolled out today, including their implementation of a Do Not Track Setting.

This now brings Chrome in line with all the other major browsers, and fulfils their promise to include the functionality before the end of 2012.

The option is included in the list of tick boxes under the heading Privacy, which is accessed via Settings->Show Advanced Settings  from the main menu in the top right next to the address bar.

As expected is it turned off by default and when you click the box, you get a further piece of information popping up: 

Of course, now what we need is to have some agreement about what Do Not Track actually means so websites can actually decide how to respond, but as we have mentioned before that may be a long way off.

The good news however is that Optanon, our ePrivacy solution for websites already has an option that enables site owners to respect a Do Not Track request from visitors.

Not only that, but it enables those visitors to indicate they are happy to override that request for the Optanon-empowered website.  We believe that this kind of functionality could become common-place over the next year or two as increased awareness of privacy increasingly creates market pressure for websites to compete on privacy protection.