Advertisers Concerned Over Explorer Default Do-Not-Track

Microsoft said that it will include do-not-track in the latest Explorer iteration (10) in Windows 8, which drew some praise from Capitol Hill and concern from online advertisers.

Microsoft, Mozilla and others have committed to the Obama Administration that they would support a do-not-track browser option also supported by the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), but the default setting takes it up a notch. "[W]e hope that many consumers will see this value and make a conscious choice to share information in order to receive more personalized ad content," said Brendon Lynch, chief privacy officer, Microsoft. "For us, that is the key distinction. Consumers should be empowered to make an informed choice and, for these reasons, we believe that for IE10 in Windows 8, a privacy-by-default state for online behavioral advertising is the right approach." Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), who co-chairs the Congressional Privacy Caucus and has sponsored a do-not-track kids bill, was pleased, but wanted more. Caucus Co-Chair Joe Barton (R-TX), called it a good first step. Online advertisers were troubled. So were advertisers in general.