Re: ISSUE-92: If data collection (even very specific with IP address, user agent, referrer) is time-limited, with very limited retention, is that still tracking?

On Oct 19, 2011, at 10:29 , Kevin Smith wrote:

> Aleecia asked me to add a comment I had made on the IRC, that if the data is not being retained (ie, they use it to verify ad campaign constraints, and then throw it away), then we probably do not want to consider this as tracking.  Personally, I do not know if it's possible to "track" without retaining any data, so in retrospect, I am not sure how useful the comment was.
> 
> Actually, I believe this has come up before.  Others have stated that they believe its ok to use data garnered from the current request as long as it is not augmented with historical data.  I don't think we had a consensus on that thought, but it seems related.

It does seem that treating me using only the data I am currently presenting is not tracking; given the 'naive' definition I previously offered "treat me as someone about whom you know nothing and remember nothing", it appears OK.

But there is a slippery slope here;  OK, the URI says I am coming from the New York Times, i.e. it's for an Ad placed there. And my IP address can be correlated with a database that says I am in California. Oh, but it's an IP address some dude called Dave Singer generally uses (DHCP service is 'sticky') -- and we're over the line.

> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: public-tracking-request@w3.org [mailto:public-tracking-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Tracking Protection Working Group Issue Tracker
> Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 10:25 AM
> To: public-tracking@w3.org
> Subject: ISSUE-92: If data collection (even very specific with IP address, user agent, referrer) is time-limited, with very limited retention, is that still tracking?
> 
> 
> ISSUE-92: If data collection (even very specific with IP address, user agent, referrer) is time-limited, with very limited retention, is that still tracking? 
> 
> http://www.w3.org/2011/tracking-protection/track/issues/92
> 
> Raised by: 
> On product: 
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David Singer
Multimedia and Software Standards, Apple Inc.

Received on Wednesday, 19 October 2011 23:06:41 UTC