The key point here is most analytics are used by publishers to show readership numbers, most advertising networks are used as a revenue source and unclicked social widgets are used to promote content.
So is this the death of the web as we know it?
Beta versions of the Firefox browser will limit tracking by ad networks. Safari has long done the same, but Safari desktop market share is about 8%, Firefox has around 20% of the browser share, creating a serious dent in the ability of ad companies to track and therefore monetise consumers.
Without advertising revenues, accurate visitor numbers or promotional opportunities many website would struggle I feel. Anyway read more below and at the original article.
“If a user does not seem to have intentionally interacted with your content, or if you’re uncertain, you should ask for permission before setting cookies. Most analytics services, advertising networks, and unclicked social widgets would come within this category.
In sum, working around the policy’s technical limits may be reasonable in certain cases, but undermining the policy’s privacy purpose is never acceptable.”
via » The New Firefox Cookie Policy Web Policy. Also worth reading the Mozilla blog post.
