Tracking (e.g., for behavioral advertising) has come to the forefront recently as part of the overall Web privacy conversation in the broader Web and policy community. Several software vendors (including Microsoft, Mozilla, and Google) are offering measures that are intended to permit users to opt out of this tracking, or to prevent tracking by Web sites that are known to engage in these practices. Similar technology is deployed in a number of plugins (including NoScript, AdBlock plus, TACO, and PrivacyChoice). As part of ongoing efforts in the area of user privacy on the Web, W3C is organizing a Workshop on Web Tracking and User Privacy.

The Web is now critical infrastructure and, as such, requires mechanisms that foster trust. For critical enterprise activity, effective government engagement, and sensitive social information accessed over the Web, a higher level of identity assurance, privacy protection, and security is required, and client-side technologies like browsers have an important role to play. There is a pressing need for trustworthy, widely-applicable digital identity management. W3C is therefore organizing a Workshop on Identity in the Browser. Participants will investigate strategies to facilitate the development and deployment of improved identity authentication and authorization technologies across the Web. Also included in the workshop will be explorations into the operational, policy, and legal issues that must be addressed by the solutions.

Social networking has transformed the Web. However, most Social Web applications today limit relationships to those with accounts in the same system. As with many other communications tools (telephone, email, Web) people will ultimately prefer Social Web applications without such barriers, where anyone can communicate seamlessly with anyone else, whatever application they are using. W3C will be exploring how to achieve "One Social Web" at Federated Social Web Europe.

The Workshop on Mobile and Web Mobile Technologies in Social and Economic Development aims to understand the challenges associated with using mobile phones and Web technologies to deliver sustainable services for underprivileged populations in developing countries.