Released: September 16, 2013

Do Not Track website unveiled

Consumer Action site offers consumers information on online tracking protection

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WASHINGTON, DC – Today national consumer group Consumer Action is launching an educational website RespectMyDNT.org, aimed at giving consumers practical information on Do Not Track (DNT), the still undefined tool that aims to help consumers limit online tracking.

The website provides consumers with an overview of the issues touched by Do Not Track, such as how the online tracking ecosystem works and why advertisers and marketers have thus far refused to honor DNT signals from users. It also encourages consumers to get involved in the issue by sending messages to Congress on key bills related to online tracking and DNT and provides a blog with insight and commentary on the latest concerns.

“DNT represents a very unique tool for educating consumers about online privacy because it’s an easy to remember acronym that echoes a protection we currently have in the Do Not Call Registry, “says Michelle De Mooy, senior associate, National Priorities for Consumer Action. “We felt it was the right time to launch a project that taps into this public awareness and encourages consumers to learn about and get involved in the issues around DNT. After all, they’ve told us repeatedly that they want the ability to control tracking and this is one way to do it.”

De Mooy added that though the process to develop a standard DNT mechanism had thus far stalled in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), there was hope that other standards bodies or legislation in Congress might aid in the adoption of DNT or other tracking protections.

About Consumer Action

Through multilingual consumer education materials, community outreach and issue-focused advocacy, Consumer Action (www.consumer-action.org) empowers underrepresented consumers nationwide to assert their rights in the marketplace and financially prosper.

RespectMyDNT.org is part of Consumer Action’s Do Not Track public education campaign, funded by a general support grant from Microsoft.

Downloads

Do Not Track website unveiled   (Respect-My_DNT-website_PR.pdf)