CFO Issue 22

Objection to Option B

Consumer Watchdog maintains that online users must have information in a machine-readable manner in order to support meaningful and practical decision-making regarding their choices for privacy. 

Option B does not provide the  transparency necessary to inform about the parties who can be present at a website.  Users need to have comprehensive information in a format that can be examined and acted upon by a user agent.  We agree with  CDD and our EFF colleague that “the ‘other parties’ field offers publishers a compliance framework for the consent requirements under EU law whilst reducing the opportunities for malware and the leakage of user data.”

It is imperative that Do Not Track options provide consumers meaningful choice and control.  A DNT standard that falls short of the promises implied by its name ultimately undermines users’ trust in the Internet.

John M. Simpson

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John Simpson
Privacy Project Director
Consumer Watchdog
Tel: 310-392-7041