Do Not Track Is Dead. Global Privacy Control Is What Works Now.
For a decade, Do Not Track was the web's polite request not to be tracked. It failed because it was voluntary. Global Privacy Control replaces it with a signal that carries legal weight.
Updated July 2, 2026 · 4 min read
Why Do Not Track failed
Do Not Track (DNT) added a header asking sites not to track you. Crucially, honouring it was entirely optional, and almost no site did. With no legal backing and no enforcement, DNT became a signal advertisers simply ignored. Firefox removed the setting in 2025, acknowledging it no longer did anything useful.
What Global Privacy Control changes
Global Privacy Control (GPC) looks similar — a signal your browser sends — but with one decisive difference: legal enforceability. Under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act and its amendments, a GPC signal is treated as a valid opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal data, and businesses covered by the law must comply.
This site reads both signals and reports them back to you. If your browser sends GPC, you'll see it recognised in the results.
How to turn on GPC
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → enable 'Tell websites not to sell or share my data'.
- Brave: enabled by default.
- Chrome / Edge: install an extension such as Privacy Badger or DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Global Privacy Control stop all tracking?
- No. GPC is an opt-out of the sale and sharing of personal data, enforceable against businesses covered by certain privacy laws. It does not technically block fingerprinting or trackers — pair it with a content blocker like uBlock Origin for that.