Specifically, in a move that came to light last week, developers of the widely used Apache Web server application have added a patch to their software that ignores the DNT header altogether when it is sent by Microsoft's forthcoming IE10 browser.

The only reason DNT exists is to express a non-default option, the patch's author, Roy Fielding, an Adobe employee who is also cofounder of Apache and a contributor to the . It does not protect anyone's privacy unless the recipients believe it was set by a real human being, with a real preference for privacy over personalization.

IE10 Stands Alone

Just as a quick refresher, Do Not Track is a proposed Web standard designed to give users of the Web an easy way to request that websites and online ad networks not track their browsing behavior.

All five of the big browsers, including also Chrome, , Opera, and Safari, have a DNT option. IE10 is the only one that has it turned on by default, however, though users will have the if they want.