What is P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences)? - Definition from Whatis.com

Definition

P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences)

P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences) is a protocol that specifies a way to determine if a Web site's security policies meet a user's privacy requirements. P3P includes a machine-readable vocabulary and syntax that can be used to describe Web site security policies and consumers' self-identified privacy preferences. When a user requests a Web page, that Web site's P3P policy files are sent to the browser, which compares the files with the user's privacy preferences and delivers an alert if there is a conflict between the two. P3P was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as a means of increasing consumer confidence in online transactions.

This was last updated in July 2003

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