Yahoo will no longer honor your Do Not Track requests

Himanshu Arora

Himanshu Arora

Posts: 902   +7
Staff

Yahoo announced last week that the company will stop honoring "Do Not Track" requests made by a user's browser. “As of today, web browser Do Not Track settings will no longer be enabled on Yahoo”, the firm said in a blog post.

When a user activates the DNT option, an HTTP header is sent to websites indicating that the user doesn't want their online behavior to be monitored. This is more of a request from the browser to the web site than an order.

The company said it is yet to see a single privacy standard that is effective, easy to use and has been adopted by the broader tech industry. This, along with a desire for personalized experiences, prompted the company to change its policy.

This isn't the first time Yahoo has come out openly against DNT. Back in 2012, the company refused to honor DNT requests from Internet Explorer 10 because Microsoft decided to turn on the option by default, rather than asking users to make the choice.

Yahoo points out that users can still manage their privacy on its website by using a variety of tools available to them in the Yahoo Privacy Center. You can click on the Opt Out button to disable what Yahoo calls "interest-based advertising". However, that not only requires you to accept cookies into your browser, but also to be logged into Yahoo, across every computer you own.

Yahoo isn't the only company that has distanced itself from DNT, according to a Google Do Not Track page, most web services, including Google's, do not alter their behavior upon receiving DNT requests. Currently, there is only a small number of companies that honor DNT, although some big names like Twitter and Pinterest are part of the list.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/56642-yahoo-will-no-longer-honor-your-do-not-track-requests.html

 
I figured this was a ploy. I really like what Microsoft did. I don't use IE, and instead use firefox. I turned on DNT and I enable adblock on all good websites that I visit(this included). I guess the big money is in user data.
 
@Chazz

it doesn't matter what browser you use... the DNT request is sent with the HTTP header. to summarize this article:

You can use whatever browser you like and enable your DNT request... still that doesn't mean a website will honor your request when they receive it... after all it is just a 'request'
 
The Customer is always right, has turned to Screw the customer if we can make more money. So DNT comes along as a simple, possible way to help customers, even if it's only perception. Companies say they will not honor it. People will complain until the Government makes a new law "The Personal Privacy Act of 2020". Companies will complain about too much government regulation and the cycle continues.
 
Guest said:
@Chazz

it doesn't matter what browser you use... the DNT request is sent with the HTTP header. to summarize this article:

You can use whatever browser you like and enable your DNT request... still that doesn't mean a website will honor your request when they receive it... after all it is just a 'request'
Click to expand...


Ya but these companies said that would honor it. The ones that said they wouldn't, said they won't honor DNT requests from IE. And that was because DNT was being turned on by default. Viewing the link from the article,though, I see not many companies honor it.
 
TheBigFatClown said:
TAILS baby, yeah!!! You can track me but it won't actually be me your tracking just someone that you think is me. LOL.
Click to expand...
huh? Clear as mud.

Privacy Badger eats tracking cookies, thereby implementing DNT on the client side regardless of what the web site attempted to ignore or honor.
 
I still think that Firefox, with "NoScript" installed and active, is one of the best defenses you can use. It eliminates cross site scripting.

But, I'm an old man, so I forget where I've been browsing anyway...:D

NoScript makes me so happy, I could poop my pants..;) But, I live alone, and there's not much point to doing that, when you wind up having to clean it up yourself...:(
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Mike Steele
captaincranky said:
I still think that Firefox, with "NoScript" installed and active, is one of the best defenses you can use. It eliminates cross site scripting.
Click to expand...
That's true but - -
tracking cookies get generated from the host side and delivered with the response to the first request.
 
jobeard said:
That's true but - -
tracking cookies get generated from the host side and delivered with the response to the first request.
Click to expand...
But, in privacy mode, those get dumped when you close the browser, while no current history is retained. I suppose, it's not perfect, but it's a lot better than going in blasting with IE in its stock form.

I've even run into the, "FBI virus pages", claiming my IP had been logged, and I had to pay money. With NoScript running, I just clicked the window closed and went on my merry way.

http://www.fbi.gov/knoxville/press-releases/2012/internet-scam-warning-reveton-ransomware

Boatloads of people, are pissing and moaning on how to get rid of this ransom-ware.

It is indeed indicative of the potential havoc that cross site scripting can wreak while tracking you, and how effective script blocking can be at eliminating it.

Besides, anyone who uses Chrome has already acquiesced to being tracked by Google. Is anybody really naive enough to believe that Google would allow its own, "googleanalytics" script to be blocked?

As for using Yahoo, why bother? On any query you'll get as many as 10X the search results from Google. Those you just block with Firefox.

(True, FF & Google are true, in bed together, but I'm not sure they're enjoying it. Just going through the motions, so to speak ;)).

@jobeard If I'm incompletely informed, or incorrect about any of this, feel free to correct or further enlighten me.
 
Last edited:
Not trying to nit-pick, but the subject lends itself to browser issues.

No Scripting is not coupled (directly) to privacy mode, so by itself, No Scripting does nothing to preempt DNT or other cookies. Privacy mode (which you just introduced :) ) will directly eat anything stored during the private session (or so it purports to do at least).
 
captaincranky said:
NoScript makes me so happy, I could poop my pants..;)
Click to expand...
Could pay to keep that one quiet. I hear Najah Davenport likes to revisit the states where he played
Mike Steele said:
I'm picturing Marrisa in pigtails and knee socks telling us she's been a bad girl
Click to expand...
I'm guessing captain was picturing much the same, except her name is probably Svetlana and the space between the pigtails and the knee socks is just one big wardrobe malfunction.;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: St1ckM4n and captaincranky
Mike Steele said:
I'm picturing Marrisa in pigtails and knee socks telling us she's been a bad girl
Click to expand...
dividebyzero said:
...[ ]...I'm guessing captain was picturing much the same, except her name is probably Svetlana and the space between the pigtails and the knee socks is just one big wardrobe malfunction.;)
Click to expand...
Actually you're both a bit right, and a bit wrong.

I was picturing spanking the back of Masha's wardrobe malfunction to a bright rosy pink, erstwhile President Obama was floating overhead flapping his ears, (a la Dumbo), whilst wagging his finger at me in disgusted delight.
 
captaincranky said:
I was picturing spanking the back of Masha's wardrobe malfunction to a bright rosy pink, erstwhile President Obama was floating overhead flapping his ears, (a la Dumbo), whilst wagging his finger at me in disgusted delight.
Click to expand...
Leas' you know obamacare yo!

DIY acupressure for the win and unburdening the healthcare system a spank at a time.
 
Does not matter what yahoo says or honors. If you edit your host file and block all the add parasitic servers. You block all adds and f**k yahoo and all adds on any web page. You just get what you are looking for and no adds at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DelJo63
Guest said:
Does not matter what yahoo says or honors. If you edit your host file and block all the add parasitic servers. You block all adds and f**k yahoo and all adds on any web page. You just get what you are looking for and no adds at all.
Click to expand...
FWIW, "Spybot S&D, used to edit the hosts file for you. They called it, "immunization", (I think), but never actually explained what the process was doing.

If you went into the "Hosts" file manually, you would see scads of bad addresses added by Spybot.
 
Once upon-a-time, there was a quiet web with AltaVista Search Engine. In 1994 Yahoo! was born and they where the bomb! Today Google took over. I think Yahoo! trying to be different but it's not the same as it was back in 1995. It's a new world and new rules. When it comes to privacy I don't want no one tracking my movements. I use Opt-out and a few other pest tricks. To me Yahoo! not the same. I still have Yahoo! mail but I only use it 1% along with another sleeper called Mail.com 1%. The rest is Google mail 98%. They're tracking us too. They offer free everything but when money is brought to the table things they don't play nicely with us.
 
captaincranky said:
Guest said:
Does not matter what yahoo says or honors. If you edit your host file and block all the add parasitic servers. You block all adds and f**k yahoo and all adds on any web page. You just get what you are looking for and no adds at all.
Click to expand...
FWIW, "Spybot S&D, used to edit the hosts file for you. They called it, "immunization", (I think), but never actually explained what the process was doing.

If you went into the "Hosts" file manually, you would see scads of bad addresses added by Spybot.
Click to expand...

Spyware Blaster is another way to control pest on web.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Shawn Knight
Do Not Track: Mozilla is dropping privacy feature due to ineffectiveness
Replies
6
Views
395
dznmdrwutmynamiz
D
A
"MyTerms" draft standard wants to fix what Do Not Track couldn't
Replies
8
Views
262
matthisd
M
S
Meta and Yandex bypassed Android privacy to link anonymous web browsing to app users
Replies
11
Views
224
Madethedevilcry
M

Latest posts

Back