Yahoo Reverses Stance, Won't Honor Browser Do Not Track Requests

Yahoo has reversed its position on Web browser privacy and will no longer honor Do Not Track (DNT) settings. The change puts Yahoo in line with companies such as Google and Facebook who have disregarded DNT settings for some time to track just what people are doing online whether they like it or not.

Yahoo to users: No more Do Not Track for youYahoo to users: No more Do Not Track for you

Yahoo said it decided to stop honoring DNT settings in Web browsers, even though it had been in support of the option for the past couple years, because there aren't any real standards governing the setting. The Internet search company said the change will also give its users a more personalized experience.

In this case, "personalized" means detailed tracking for ad delivery. Those ads will be based on online activity, which means there's a higher likelihood you'll see something that's more relevant to you. It also means Yahoo will be tracking your online activities once you visit a Yahoo-owned site.

Yahoo does offer options for managing at least some of your privacy settings, although you must be logged into your Yahoo account to manage them. You'll need to stay logged in, too, for the changes to stay in effect.

Despite the change, Yahoo said, "The privacy of our users is and will continue to be a top priority for us." The end result, however, is that it doesn't matter if you use Safari, Firefox, or Chrome as your Web browser because your DNT settings will be ignored.