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Posted on May 31st, 2012 in Data Privacy by Simply Security | Be the first to comment | Tags: Data Privacy

Twitter's embrace of Do Not Track protocol sets it apart from other leading social media sites.

While the latest round of updates to Facebook's privacy policy were primarily superficial, new measure taken by Twitter represent a more distinct departure from the status quo of social media data privacy. In alignment with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommendations, the microblogging site has agreed to support the Do Not Track (DNT) protocol in an effort to give users greater control over how their information is collected and shared across the web.

In testimony provided to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation earlier this month, FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz gave his endorsement for the DNT options as the nation finds itself at a "critical juncture" for consumer privacy. The mechanism essentially allows web users to choose whether or not they would like to allow a website to collect information regarding their web browsing habits to improve future experiences with more relevant targeted advertisements and other possibilities.

In the eyes of the FTC, Twitter has established parity with Google and Facebook now that all three have consolidated their privacy policies and made them more transparent. However, the microblogging site has distinguished itself from the others by embracing – through DNT – the "privacy by design" approach that government regulators have labeled a leading pillar of consumer data protection.

Twitter is even garnering praise from the executive branch thanks to its bold new move.

"Twitter announced it will support the new Do Not Track feature in web browsers, giving users one-click control over whether or not Twitter keeps track of which websites they visit," White House deputy chief technology officer for Internet policy Danny Weitzer wrote. "This important step is part of a larger Obama Administration strategy to encourage more consumer privacy protection on the Internet."

The support for DNT follows a related announcement from Twitter that it will start providing a new "tailored suggestions" service for its users. Administrators are able to determine new options that users may enjoy – such as a link they may have missed or a person they may be interested in following – by tracking and analyzing data acquired from websites that have Twitter buttons or widgets.

With this program still in its pilot phase, Twitter is supporting DNT to establish an opt-out for skeptical or uninterested users. The latest versions of Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox and Chrome all offer third-party extensions that users can install to establish DNT protection and wipe their data collection slate clean.

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