Lynch said feedback drove Microsoft to spell out how IE10 will handle DNT.

"Since [May], we have conducted additional consumer research that confirmed strong support for our 'consumer-privacy-first' approach to DNT," claimed Lynch. "We have also discussed our point of view with many interested parties, who want to learn more about how our customers will first experience and control the DNT setting in IE."

It's clear there are "interested parties" in Microsoft's unilateral decision to turn on DNT.

In June, for example, to let Microsoft set DNT as on in IE10, even though the standards body leaned toward requiring users to explicitly making a choice.

At that time, Robert Madelin, who heads the European Commission's Information Society and Media Directorate-General, told the W3C that it was enough that users be informed of the default DNT setting and given the opportunity to change it.