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Do_not_track

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Why This Matters

The introduction of a standardized environment variable, DO_NOT_TRACK, is a significant step toward simplifying user privacy preferences across diverse software tools and frameworks. This standardization empowers consumers to easily control their data sharing, fostering greater trust and transparency in the tech industry. For developers, it provides a clear, consistent method to respect user privacy and potentially adopt more privacy-centric default settings.

Key Takeaways

DO_NOT_TRACK A standard for respecting user privacy in software

The Problem

Many CLI tools, SDKs, and frameworks collect telemetry data by default. Each one has its own way to opt out:

Tool Opt-out method .NET DOTNET_CLI_TELEMETRY_OPTOUT=1 Copy AWS SAM CLI SAM_CLI_TELEMETRY=0 Copy Azure CLI AZURE_CORE_COLLECT_TELEMETRY=0 Copy Gatsby GATSBY_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1 Copy Go go telemetry off Copy Google Cloud SDK gcloud config set disable_usage_reporting true Copy Homebrew HOMEBREW_NO_ANALYTICS=1 Copy Netlify CLI netlify --telemetry-disable Copy Syncthing STNOUPGRADE=1 Copy

You get the idea. There are too many, and they are all different.

The Proposal

A single, standard environment variable that clearly and unambiguously expresses a user's wish to opt out of any of the following:

Ad tracking

Usage reporting, anonymous or not

Telemetry

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