AVG rolls out two types of 'Do Not Track' in latest antivirus service pack
Dutch security company AVG on Tuesday rolled out the 2012 service pack for all of its security products which adds the new "Do Not Track" and WiFi Guard features to the protections it offers users.
The service pack includes both Passive and Active Do Not Track (DNT) features that are turned on by default as soon as the software is installed. Passive DNT is the World Wide Web Consortium standard HTTP header request, that allows users to browse sites without being tracked.
The catch is that compliance is voluntary, so data collection isn't totally stopped. AVG’s active DNT prevents user data from being sent to services where privacy policies allow user data to be stored or shared. This includes a white/blacklisting feature so users can stay away from sites where they don't want their data saved.
"This new feature is all about putting control of online privacy in the consumer’s hands. At AVG, we help provide Internet users with peace of mind – and today, making users aware of issues with online privacy is a logical extension of our community centric platform,” said JR Smith, CEO of AVG Technologies in a statement on Tuesday. "We believe all Internet users are entitled to know how their online data is collected and used – and they should have possible solutions available."
AVG's release proves to be quite timely, as it comes on the same day that the Federal Trade Commission released a report called "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change," which is a sort of best practices document for businesses and policymakers about the collection and use of personal user data (PDF available here.)
The document includes a major heading on Do Not Track policies, saying "[The] industry has made significant progress in implementing Do Not Track. The browser vendors have developed tools that consumers can use to signal that they do not want to be tracked; the DAA has developed its own icon-based tool and has committed to honor the browser tools; and the W3C has made substantial progress in creating an international standard for Do Not Track. However, the work is not done. The Commission will work with these groups to complete implementation of an easy-to use, persistent, and effective Do Not Track system."
Download AVG Anti-Virus 2012 service pack for Windows in FileForum now!
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