Associated adopts Do Not Track

Global news organisation Associated Press has become the first company to adopt a Do Not Track button, enabling its 175 million unique users a month – across its 800 news sites – to opt out of being targeted by behavioural advertising.
AP has adopted the scheme that comes with the latest Mozilla browser update, Firefox 4. And, according to Mozilla, the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) – a group of US agencies which have embraced self-regulation for behavioural advertising – is also poised to sign up for the scheme.
The introduction of Do Not Track technology has become one of the key issues facing online businesses as they attempt to pre-empt legislation.
The move follows criticism – by both the European Commission and the US Federal Trade Commission – about the rise of behavioural ads, and calls for new legislation to force companies to provide an opt-out button.
Most browser companies are either planning or have already launched Do Not Track extensions. Google Chrome has a scheme, dubbed “Keep My Opt-Outs”, while Microsoft has said it will add its version, called Tracking Protection, to the next update of Explorer.
But Brussels chiefs remain sceptical, amid claims that the digital advertising industry is continually trying to circumvent legislation, rather than work with the authorities to reach a solution on privacy concerns.
They cite the rise of so-called “zombie cookies”, which have been developed by the industry. They use technology normally associated with computer viruses to embed themselves in hard drives and are virtually impossible to delete.