Stop Online Tracking!
- by: Consumers Union
- recipient: The CEOs of Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Mozilla
You should have the right to decide if you want companies to track you online and serve you behaviorally targeted ads. You should also be able to control whether tracking companies can follow your kids around the Web.
Companies say tracking helps them serve you better, and that's fine, if it is what you choose. But it is far too hard to make that choice. Tell Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Mozilla -- most people use one of their tools to access the net -- to give us strong, effective Do Not Track tools!
Take a moment right now to communicate directly with the CEOs of the big software companies that can make "Do Not Track" happen. The technology has already been developed -- it's just a matter of implementing it in an easy-to-use, consumer-friendly way!
Companies say tracking helps them serve you better, and that's fine, if it is what you choose. But it is far too hard to make that choice. Tell Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Mozilla -- most people use one of their tools to access the net -- to give us strong, effective Do Not Track tools!
Take a moment right now to communicate directly with the CEOs of the big software companies that can make "Do Not Track" happen. The technology has already been developed -- it's just a matter of implementing it in an easy-to-use, consumer-friendly way!
Dear [Decision Maker],
Telling advertisers I don't want my online activity tracked should be simple and straight forward. Make "Do Not Track" development your highest priority this year.
I feel like someone is watching me all the time when I'm online, and more disturbingly, when my children are online. Each of your companies has implemented some tools to protect my privacy, but some are hard to use while others don't actually let me opt out of tracking.
I want to be able to shop online knowing that I can do so privately. The tools should at least be:
* easy to find and use
* permanent - they should not disappear when I update my browser or clear my cookies
* either block unwanted tracking or tell third parties I don't want to be tracked
Do Not Track browser tools are currently being developed, but could be more effective and consumer-friendly.
For companies already offering consumer Do Not Track options, such as Microsoft, Mozilla, and Apple, I would ask you to please make those options easier to find and use. I shouldn't have to search through multiple browser tabs or go to a separate web page in order to find them. You could, for example, place a "Do Not Track Me" button right on the browser, the same way that you currently offer a "Home" button.
For those companies without a clear and simple Do Not Track browser tool, such as Google, I urge you to develop and implement this option. Chrome requires consumers to download a browser extension called "Keep My Opt-Outs." This add-on, which is already difficult to locate and use, works in tandem with the industry self-regulatory privacy initiative. The problem, however, is that the industry initiative does not actually stop companies from tracking me - it only prevents me from seeing behaviorally-targeted ads. The Chrome browser should give me a simple, clear and easy-to-use browser Do Not Track tool.
(Your Comments Here)
Competition among browsers is heating up. More and more consumers are switching browsers in order to have a better user experience and better online tools. Privacy is a major factor in that decision.
Sign PetitionSign PetitionTelling advertisers I don't want my online activity tracked should be simple and straight forward. Make "Do Not Track" development your highest priority this year.
I feel like someone is watching me all the time when I'm online, and more disturbingly, when my children are online. Each of your companies has implemented some tools to protect my privacy, but some are hard to use while others don't actually let me opt out of tracking.
I want to be able to shop online knowing that I can do so privately. The tools should at least be:
* easy to find and use
* permanent - they should not disappear when I update my browser or clear my cookies
* either block unwanted tracking or tell third parties I don't want to be tracked
Do Not Track browser tools are currently being developed, but could be more effective and consumer-friendly.
For companies already offering consumer Do Not Track options, such as Microsoft, Mozilla, and Apple, I would ask you to please make those options easier to find and use. I shouldn't have to search through multiple browser tabs or go to a separate web page in order to find them. You could, for example, place a "Do Not Track Me" button right on the browser, the same way that you currently offer a "Home" button.
For those companies without a clear and simple Do Not Track browser tool, such as Google, I urge you to develop and implement this option. Chrome requires consumers to download a browser extension called "Keep My Opt-Outs." This add-on, which is already difficult to locate and use, works in tandem with the industry self-regulatory privacy initiative. The problem, however, is that the industry initiative does not actually stop companies from tracking me - it only prevents me from seeing behaviorally-targeted ads. The Chrome browser should give me a simple, clear and easy-to-use browser Do Not Track tool.
(Your Comments Here)
Competition among browsers is heating up. More and more consumers are switching browsers in order to have a better user experience and better online tools. Privacy is a major factor in that decision.
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