Do Not Track
Data & TrackingAlso: DNT
Quick definition
Do Not Track is a browser setting that sends a signal asking websites not to track the visitor. It sounds decisive but it never worked, because honouring it was voluntary and almost no one did, and no law required it. Its practical legacy is as a cautionary tale and as the idea behind newer, enforceable signals like Global Privacy Control.
Where it shows up in the data
Honouring the Do Not Track signal was optional and no law required it, so nearly everyone ignored it. That is why it failed.
It demonstrates that a privacy control without legal backing becomes noise, a lesson that shaped how later signals were designed.
The enforceable successor. Some privacy laws treat it as a binding opt-out, so unlike Do Not Track, ignoring it can carry real consequences.
What it actually means
Do Not Track was an early attempt to give people a simple way to opt out of tracking: a browser toggle that added a signal to web requests asking sites not to track the user. The fatal flaw was that honouring the signal was entirely voluntary and no regulation compelled it, so the vast majority of sites and ad networks simply ignored it. Browsers largely deprecated the feature. Its importance now is twofold. It is a reminder that a privacy control without legal backing tends to be ignored, and it is the conceptual ancestor of Global Privacy Control, a newer signal that some privacy laws, including elements of California's regime, treat as a legally binding opt-out. The difference is enforceability.
Do Not Track was a polite request that nobody was required to grant. Privacy without enforcement is just a suggestion.
The Australian context
Do Not Track was never enforced in Australia or anywhere else. Australian businesses should watch its successor, Global Privacy Control, and how privacy reform treats browser-based opt-out signals, rather than relying on the defunct DNT.
Where people get this wrong
Related terms
Common questions
What is Do Not Track?
It is a browser setting that sends a signal asking websites not to track the visitor. Honouring it was voluntary and no law required it, so it was overwhelmingly ignored and browsers have largely deprecated it.
Does Do Not Track actually work?
No. Because compliance was optional and unenforced, almost no sites or ad networks honoured the signal, so it provided no meaningful protection.
What replaced Do Not Track?
Global Privacy Control, a newer signal that some privacy laws treat as a legally binding opt-out. The key difference is enforceability, which Do Not Track never had.
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About New Rebellion
New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.
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