[jamiecurle]

I don't get this. Many years ago there was "Do not track", a header that was sent based on browser configuration. As a data subject, I loved it. As an engineer I also loved it - it was easy. If the header was present don't render any tracking code. If all services acted in good faith, it could have been epic. But there was pushback, and it went away. Sadface.

For what it's worth I think the browser is the right place for tools like this. If the same thing could have been applied to cookies, we'd not be experience cookie-preference-popupageddon.

The article suggests browser vendors are somehow on the hook for implementing "do not sell". Is the idea the same as do not track?

[boudin]

The opppsite would be more logical. Selling data should be opt-in, in the absence of explicit consent no company should be able to sell data.

In case we agree on selling our data we should be able to set our price and get paid for sell, use and resale of data. It's crazy that those parasite companies get that for free.

[mrweasel]

But why would anyone opt-in to that? You could do what some site are doing put up a "Either pay us or opt-in to cookies and tracking". The problem is I don't think people fully understand how much tracking we're talking about.

Right now a Danish radio station is running a number of news stories about being able to track people who work for military intelligence or as police officers and prison guards. They do this using a free sample a data broker provided. Everyone act surprised when the journalists are able to show up at the home address of military personal or prison guards who have their home address protected/secret.

I don't think there's a safe way to opt-in to selling your data, because most people cannot comprehend how much data, what type or the ramifications.

[FlynnLivesMattr]

It's even worse than that now. In privacy circles, it is widely advised to not enable Do Not Track headers, as they are rarely respected and are actually unsurprisingly and commonly used as an additional identifier/data point during browser fingerprinting—in effect, making you less tracked if you deselect "Do Not Track" and more tracked if you enable "Do Not Track."