Re: [projectvrm] DNT is hotting up

[Mark Lizar < >]

Thanks for the update :-) 

On 9 Aug 2012, at 19:35, Carlton Jefferis wrote:

Hello all

I've been following everyone's threads about DNT with great interest from across the pond in Olympic-crazy UK. I noticed two developments today in case anyone missed them.

First this...

Microsoft committed to Do Not Track by default

http://mashable.com/2012/08/09/microsoft-do-not-track-default/

...which seems to confirm our hopes on what we already knew a few weeks ago.

Then I just saw this on the BBC...

Google fined over Safari cookie privacy row

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19200279

...so it seems this was an 'issue' with Safari (i.e. DNT was on by default). I wasn't aware of that before.

A quick check of global browser market share at http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php indicates that IE and Safari together account for around 40% of browsers (albeit various versions). Chrome is 28%. Firefox 23%.

As someone on this list has already pointed out, a huge amount of Google's revenues (e.g. AdSense product) rely on third party cookies. This is a major issue for them.

The other thing is Facebook. This is soon to be a huge problem for them too. They're now using Facebook data to target you outside Facebook:

http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/22/we-are-not-afraid/

This is just the first step for them. As I'm sure you'll all know already they are finalising 'Facebook Ad Exchange' (FBX) which is essentially a Google AdSense product for Facebook which is tracking us around the web: http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-will-use-fbx-to-supplement-its-mobile-ad-revenues-2012-7

On the face of it Microsoft's (and Apple's) position on DNT looks like a great way of disrupting the revenues of Google and Facebook provided IE and Safari can cling on to their browser market share and get serious numbers to upgrade to IE10 and newer Safari. That's a big 'if' given Chrome's rampant adoption. Perhaps Firefox will step up to the plate?

I also spotted that Facebook is sniffing around Opera: http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/30/as-facebook-rumors-swirl-opera-plays-up-its-social-cred-in-new-opera-mini-7-browser/ not a credible threat at the moment but could Opera become a Facebook-controlled browser just like Chrome?

Sorry to bombard you all with a ton of links but there's so much interesting stuff going on in this space right now.

Cheers

Carlton

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Carlton Jefferis
+44 7900 212005
@CarltonJefferis
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