FTC’s New Chief Technologist Lays Out The Limits Of ‘Do Not Track’

There’s already been plenty of speculation about what the Federal Trade Commission’s “Do Not Track” proposal will mean for online publishers and advertisers. But what they may not realize is just how much tracking will be perfectly fine, even if Do Not Track becomes the law of the land.

As the FTC’s first-ever chief technologist made clear in an interview published today, the agency isn't looking to regulate direct, first-party tracking at all. Nor is the government likely to seek new privacy rules over mobile devices, at least for now. Ed Felten clarified what the FTC would be looking for as it ramps up privacy enforcement: 1) The FTC isn't looking to regulate first-party tracking. 2) Do Not Track probably won't apply to mobile -- for now. 3) It still isn't clear how enforcement will work.