US trade regulator casts doubts on 'Do Not Track' on Web

Consumers hoping for a one-click option to bar advertisers from tracking them across the Web will have to wait a bit longer, according to a Federal Trade Commission official.

“I don’t see any of the ‘do not track’ solutions as ready for prime time,” FTC Commissioner Thomas Rosch said. The FTC is slated to unveil new privacy recommendations in the coming days, but not all of the members of the 4-person panel are on board with certain proposals. Commissioner Rosch, a Republican, has repeatedly expressed reservations with FTC proposals released in a preliminary staff report in December 2010 meant to protect the privacy of consumers online. He has also called on the agency to take a step back from championing a "do not track" system and instead investigate online advertising and gather more information on what data advertisers collect and how they use it.