3 ms·

I've been thinking about the same thing - this feels like it deserves a native API, so we can get rid of all these dark patterns currently being employed.

sergiomattei 3y ago
It’s there. It’s “Do-Not-Track” and it sadly was never respected by the big platforms (and any developers, really). I’ve never seen a single case where setting the DNT header made a difference — which is dumb considering how infested the web is with privacy prompts… Server owners can track you with the data they collect, client side can have little control of that. I wonder if there’s a better way possible in the current iteration of the web platform, or if a substantial overhaul is necessary for privacy respecting services. Perhaps DNT would’ve been more effective if it was written in law? To gather user information for marketing purposes, you must respect this header. But then, how’d you enforce that… other problems: if browsers always set DNT to true by default, then the whole effort is pointless, because nobody will opt-in. This is ideal, but marketers will definitely not like that idea. Thinking out loud here. EDIT: found an interesting HN thread from 2017 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14377877 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14377877
- tourmalinetaco 3y ago
  > I wonder if there’s a better way possible in the current iteration of the web platform, or if a substantial overhaul is necessary for privacy respecting services Web browsers taking the reigns is the best option we have. Adblock + anti-fingerprinting + cookie jars/cookies being deleted by default are all necessities in the modern day. Ideally, moving people to more privacy conscious choices (i.e. not Google/Microsoft) are great steps to reducing the power of the Internet surveillance capitalism machine.

3 ms·

I've been thinking about the same thing - this feels like it deserves a native API, so we can get rid of all these dark patterns currently being employed.

by sauercrowd 3y ago

sergiomattei 3y ago
It’s there. It’s “Do-Not-Track” and it sadly was never respected by the big platforms (and any developers, really). I’ve never seen a single case where setting the DNT header made a difference — which is dumb considering how infested the web is with privacy prompts… Server owners can track you with the data they collect, client side can have little control of that. I wonder if there’s a better way possible in the current iteration of the web platform, or if a substantial overhaul is necessary for privacy respecting services. Perhaps DNT would’ve been more effective if it was written in law? To gather user information for marketing purposes, you must respect this header. But then, how’d you enforce that… other problems: if browsers always set DNT to true by default, then the whole effort is pointless, because nobody will opt-in. This is ideal, but marketers will definitely not like that idea. Thinking out loud here. EDIT: found an interesting HN thread from 2017 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14377877 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14377877
- tourmalinetaco 3y ago
  > I wonder if there’s a better way possible in the current iteration of the web platform, or if a substantial overhaul is necessary for privacy respecting services Web browsers taking the reigns is the best option we have. Adblock + anti-fingerprinting + cookie jars/cookies being deleted by default are all necessities in the modern day. Ideally, moving people to more privacy conscious choices (i.e. not Google/Microsoft) are great steps to reducing the power of the Internet surveillance capitalism machine.