The promise of Do Not Track was supposed to be that with a simple push of the button, ad networks will no longer be able to track your online behavior.
Not only is Do Not Track the opposite of simple, it also does absolutely nothing.
To illustrate, here’s how Do Not Track was implemented in Google Chrome — the world’s most-used browser, according to some studies.
Step 1: Click on “Settings”
So far so good.
Step 2: Click on “Show advanced settings”
Obviously, any user would be able to figure this out.
Step 3: Click on “Send a ‘Do Not Track’ request with your browsing traffic
Oh, right, I see it. The last privacy option. Alright, check…
Step 4: Read the disclaimer
Oh, that’s not it? Wait, what the hell does this mean? This seems to be saying that Do Not Track doesn’t guarantee that I won’t be tracked. I should probably learn more.
Step 5: Click on “Learn more”
Oh, I see. Does Do Not Track do anything? “At this time,” no.
Step 6: Close that window, and click “OK.”
Got all that? Six steps, to achieve nothing. Hooray for Do Not Track! -David