With the next version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft is addressing the growing demand of Internet users for more privacy features in their browsers. Mozilla has had the upper hand in this regard, with Firefox giving users a convenient “clear private data” option, but Microsoft’s plans go even beyond anything Mozilla is doing yet.
IE’s new privacy settings, to debut in the forthcoming IE 8, are actually broken down into several different features, all under the “InPrivate” label. The IE Blog explains:
– InPrivate Browsing lets you control whether or not IE saves your browsing history, cookies, and other data
– InPrivate Blocking informs you about content that is in a position to observe your browsing history, and allows you to block it
– InPrivate Subscriptions allow you to augment the capability of InPrivate Blocking by subscribing to lists of websites to block or allow.
A more selective way to delete your browsing history will also be implemented. This compliments the InPrivate Browsing feature, which has earned the nickname “porn mode”.
Mozilla has acknowledged that Microsoft has beaten them to the punch for once with these features, but according to the New York Times, they aren’t too far behind, and will be releasing a Firefox update with similar features likely later this year or early next year.
Meghan Keane at Wired notes that the new privacy features of IE 8 could pose a problem for the Internet advertising industry, mainly because of the InPrivate Blocking feature. The Interactive Advertising Bureau has even acknowledged the threat in a Washington Post article.
The response from Dean Hachamovitch, the general manager of Internet Explorer goes: “Today, sites that people don’t know they visited are in a position to create a profile about where and how they browse…People should be able to choose whether or not they want to be part of that exchange of information.”
Data collectors may be caught with their pants down. It appears porn enthusiasts will not.
