Do not track (DNT) exceptions

In Internet Explorer 11, your websites can request that users let you track their site usage. IE11 records approvals as exceptions to the "Do not track" rule.

To enhance user privacy, Windows Internet Explorer uses "Do not track" (DNT) headers to request that websites avoid tracking users. As of IE11, a website can request an exception by asking permission to track users as they browse the site. If the user approves the request, the website asks Internet Explorer  to record an exception to the "Do not track" rule and sends headers to the website that allow tracking.

By respecting these headers and requesting exceptions to the default privacy settings, website owners develop a trusted relationship with their users about privacy.

Here's how to manage DNT exceptions.

To track users, sites must ask the user for an exception to the "Do not track" policy. If the user grants the exception, the website can ask IE11 to track the exception. When IE11 visits a webpage, it sends headers that reflect the tracking consent. Users can permit tracking exceptions for individual sites as well as for the site's services on other websites (such as the public API for a social network).

To manage exceptions to the privacy policy, the navigator object provides these methods:

• The confirmSiteSpecificTrackingException method indicates whether a DNT exception has previously been granted for a website.

• The storeSiteSpecificTrackingException method asks IE11 to save an exception to the DNT policy. Requests made to the domain specified by the tracking exception are allowed to track site use. This function should be called only after the user has explicitly granted permission.

• The removeSiteSpecificTrackingException method cancels a tracking exception previously granted and stored by IE11.

Note  Site specific exceptions manage permission for a given site or its subdomains.

 

A similar set of functions allow you to request and manage exceptions for a site through third-party domains (such as the public API of a social network or other shared resource):

• The confirmWebWideTrackingException method indicates whether a DNT exception has been granted for a site's resources that are used by other websites.

• The storeWebWideTrackingException method asks IE11 to save a DNT exception that allows tracking by all websites using the requested site's resources.

• The removeWebWideTrackingException method cancels a tracking exception previously stored in IE11 for requested site's resources.

It's important to note that websites are responsible for allowing users to manage tracking consent. These functions allow IE11 to manage the exceptions granted by the user, however, the browser doesn't prompt the user directly. To see how these functions work, see theDNT exceptions test drive demo.

Note  The ability to request DNT exceptions isn't guaranteed and may be blocked through Group Policy settings and InPrivate browsing.

 

Internet Explorer support for privacy tracking exceptions is based on the Tracking Preference Expression (DNT) specification published by the W3C.