Microsoft Launches “Do-Not-Track” Feature On Browser

Internet Explorer 9 allows users to request that online advertisers not monitor their browsing habits.

Maybe you don’t want some nerd at a tech company in California to know where you shop. Maybe you visit some less-than-reputable sites. Whatever the reason, Microsoft is counting on the idea that you want more online privacy. The company’s new version of Internet Explorer, to be unveiled Tuesday, is the first major web browser to feature a “do-not-track” option, which allows users to send a message to online tracking companies requesting that their browsing history not be monitored. How effective the privacy request will be is unclear, however, as it relies on tracking companies agreeing to comply and so far none have done so. Tracking companies make big money on engineering targeted advertising based on users’ browsing habits.