The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) have developed new technology which will inform internet users when there is a breach of their privacy by websites.
Users will receive a warning when a site does not adhere to their privacy agreements, allowing users better control of private and personal data.
The new software will encourage websites to do less tracking, will inform sites when there is a privacy request from a visitor and will discuss with sites what is best for customers’ privacy needs. Users and internet companies are also being encouraged to voice their opinions and suggestions for the new technology.
The new software came about as IBM, the company that heads the W3C, felt that there was no standard protocol for user privacy on websites and that each website was at liberty to pick its own specific levels of privacy for its customers.
It is hoped that the W3C’s new developments will allow a greater level of privacy, and that websites that did not match the set protocol will gain a reputation for doing so. Users will be informed of the guilty website’s lax treatment of privacy which may well bring about negative action for persistent offenders.
The new system, which has been named ‘Do Not Track’, is hoped to be ready by mid-2012, and many big internet brands have already aided its formulation, including Facebook, Apple, Google and Microsoft.
It is hoped that the bigger internet providers will use ‘Do Not Track’ as standard once it is introduced, which would allow for greater privacy in our internet surfing.
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