The Unexpected Tech

Mozilla: Welcome Google and Obama, We Invented ‘Do Not Track’ A Year Ago

Mozilla took a moment this morning to remind everyone that it invented Do Not Track in February 2011, was the first to implement it with Firefox, and that 18 percent of mobile and 7 percent of desktop Firefox users currently have it activated. Now the President and competitor Google Chrome are joining the bandwagon, but Firefox offered Do Not Track since before it was cool.

Enforcement procedures for Do Not Track and the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights are still in the works, but Mozilla expects DNT to be voluntary and the Federal Trade Commission to act against companies that commit but then stab users in the back.

The key lines from across Mozilla’s statement were:

“We’re encouraged to see increased momentum for Do Not Track. And as of today, it’s safe to say it’s here to stay…Mozilla will continue to work at the W3C, which has a vital role to play in creating an international standard…We want to continue to see Do Not Track evolve through the Internet’s rich tradition of open development and collaborative innovation. Do Not Track is too important to become a product of closed-door meetings rather than through open, multi-stakeholder efforts.”