Elimentals

See where your data goes before you click

an image from the Future of Privacy Forum

I know we see it mentioned all the time, the "You are being watched", "Careful what you share" but most of the places do not cover what you could do to prevent this or what the new DNT (Do not Track) protocols cover. As we know one of the best solutions is to always browse in Private mode, but that is not the most user friendly solution as most sites use cookies and other data to save and share your data like what you preferred theme is or the user is already validated.

Now today I am gonna arm you with some info. Please note, I use Mozilla Firefox so I will probably have the best information for those users.

1st lets get some info

Installing http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/collusion/ I can start seeing how the Internet is tracking you. For example


You can read more about DNT (Do not Track) at this link : http://privacychoice.org/
When visiting its also a great way to see if your DNT is active
Also another test by Microsoft is http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/br...k/default.html


FAQ

What is Do Not Track?
Do Not Track is a step toward putting you in control of the way your information is collected and used online. Do Not Track is a feature in Firefox that allows you to let a website know you would like to opt-out of third-party tracking for purposes including behavioral advertising. It does this by transmitting a Do Not Track HTTP header every time your data is requested from the Web.

Is Do Not Track available on Firefox for Android?
Yes. Firefox for Android is the first mobile Web browser to offer the Do Not Track privacy feature, and behaves the same way it does on the desktop. To turn Do Not Track on in Firefox for Android, simply swipe left and tap on Browser Tools. From the Preferences pane, tap on the box next to "Tell sites not to track me" to turn this option on or off.

Does Do Not Track block ads?
No, you will still see ads with Do Not Track enabled. However, Do Not Track may change the type of ads you see. For example, behavioral ads are targeted to your interests based on the websites you visit and the search terms you use. If you request that websites Do Not Track you, and the sites respect your privacy preferences, you will see more generic ads in place of behavioral ads.

How does Do Not Track work with other privacy tools?
Do Not Track is one of many privacy solutions. Do Not Track does not replace your anti-virus software, will not encrypt data, and is not a security mechanism. There are several other privacy and security features within Firefox.

Will Do Not Track affect the rest of my Web experience?
Do Not Track may interfere with some personalized services you enjoy. For example, a Do Not Track request might mean you would have to type in your zip code each time you want to view a weather report, rather than seeing the weather automatically displayed. Personalization on websites can save you time and repetitive typing, but it requires data.

Will companies honor my Do Not Track preference?
Companies are starting to support Do Not Track, but you may not notice any changes initially. We are actively working with companies that have started to implement Do Not Track, with others who have committed to doing so soon.

Now I guess you ask what can you do to use this.

FireFox:
The latest Firefox its as easy as ticking a simple box in your privacy section.
Also install https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir.../trackerblock/



Internet Explorer
In IE9+ you can just click follow the instructions as per http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/br...k/default.html


Chrome:
Chrome does not support this yet but will soon as per : http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Go...Policy-875431/ but you can use the following extension https://chrome.google.com/webstore/d...fdgfjilccfpfoe to help.

Safari:
Sorry no support for either iPhone or Mac as of yet, with no indication if they will follow the rules or not. But you can use the following extension http://www.orbicule.com/incognito/ to help.

Opera:
See http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog...nt-mail-themes

Android:
Default browser does not support this but you can install and use Firefox for Android that can enable this feature.

In the legal system you can see more info on it over here

With all the momentum its getting it will pretty soon be law in the US that most if not all sites have to abide by the new protocol, for now I think its best to make people aware of this and start enabling it.

Where can I learn more?
Other interesting work about Do Not Track and online privacy:

• Private browsing in Firefox — limits saving data about which sites and pages you have visited online
• Managing cookies in Firefox — lets you control how cookies are saved on your computer
• Alex Fowler's Mozilla Blog — latest news from Mozilla's Technology and Privacy Officer
• donotrack.us project — Stanford researchers working on the ideas behind Do Not Track
• Mozilla and Stanford's Do Not Track submission to the IETF — IETF is a standards body that helps define how the Web works, regardless of which Internet browser you use
• Ghostery — a tool that lets you learn which sites are tracking you online