Microsoft To Add Tracking Protection To IE9

Less than a week after federal regulators proposed giving web users a "do-not-track" option against online advertisers, Microsoft announced that it will add its own tracking protection mechanism in the next version of Internet Explorer 9.

Microsoft said Tuesday that the privacy tool would be in IE when it ships next year. The mechanism would give users the option of subscribing to a "tracking protection list" that would contain the names of web addresses used by tracking companies. Organizations on the list would be prevented from communicating with the browser.

Tracking has become a powerful tool for online advertisers to identify groups of people who may be interested in products or services based on their web activities. The practice has been denounced by privacy advocates who argue advertisers have no right to use people's personal information, including their use of the web, without first getting permission.

The Interactive Advertising Board, the trade group representing the $23 billion online ad industry, released a statement to InformationWeek expressing concerns with the tech vendors' plans, while also supporting its efforts at self-regulation in the privacy area. "We are concerned that the new browser features will block the advertising that supports free content on the Internet, and may inadvertently block news, entertainment and social media content as well," the IAB said.

Consumer advocacy groups had a different take on Microsoft's plans. The Consumer Watchdog welcomed the tech vendor's announcement, while insisting that self-regulation by companies wasn't enough and Congress still needed to pass "do not track me" legislation to protect consumers. "Privacy protection demands enforceable rules," John M. Simpson, a project director in Consumer Watchdog, said in a statement. ...


via Microsoft To Add Tracking Protection To IE9 -- Online Advertising -- InformationWeek.