Re: Last call comments

Hi Brooks,

Thank you for your comments (last June) on the TPE Last Call Working Draft.

The Chairs have discussed your objections and have concluded that you don't raise new issues that haven't been discussed at length before, nor do you provide new information to support reopening those issues.

The decision to include a definition of tracking within TPE is closed. Moreover, it is not accurate to say that the terms of compliance are dictated by the definition of tracking --- to the contrary, TCS contemplates companies collecting and retaining data that would constitute "tracking" under TPE. The TPE only formalizes the substance of what is requested; TPE gives a responding server broad discretion to signal how it will behave in response to such a request.

The issue of reliability of the DNT signal is also not new, and you do not provide any new information beyond a vague, unsubstantiated reference to "current market implementations." The group considered a proposal to include information about DNT-setting parties within the DNT field as part of the Last Call discussions; however, that proposal was rejected by the group.

See also: TPE Last Call comments, re: validation of user signals (issue-260)
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-tracking-comments/2015Jun/0008.html

The Chairs previously resolved a Call for Objections on the question of whether user agents must include a persistent DNT:0 setting; in response, several working group members filed a Formal Objection with W3C, which will be addressed with the Director.

Please let us know whether these explanations resolve your concerns.

Thanks,
Nick Doty, W3C
(for Tracking Protection Working Group Co-Chairs: Carl, Justin and Matthias)