Do Not Track: Understanding Your Privacy Options

What is Do Not Track?

Do Not Track (DNT) is a browser setting that signals to websites that you do not wish to be tracked. When DNT is enabled, your browser will send a request to each website you visit, asking it not to collect or track your browsing activity.

How Does DNT Work?

DNT works by sending a header field in your browser's request to websites. This header field contains a value that indicates your DNT preference. If a website receives a request with a DNT header, it is supposed to respect your request and refrain from tracking your activity.

Is DNT Effective?

Unfortunately, DNT is not universally respected by websites. Some websites may ignore your DNT request, while others may only partially comply. Additionally, DNT does not affect third-party tracking, which occurs when you visit a website that has embedded third-party content, such as social media widgets or advertising.

Conclusion

DNT is a useful tool for protecting your privacy online, but it is not a perfect solution. By enabling DNT, you can send a signal to websites that you value your privacy. However, it is important to remember that DNT is not a guarantee of privacy. To fully protect your privacy online, you should also use other privacy-enhancing measures, such as ad blockers, privacy-focused search engines, and virtual private networks (VPNs).