Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Firefox may be enabling a do-not-track system

Mozilla Corporation is in the process of enabling a do-not-track feature to their Firefox Web browser, but is running into a few problems. This feature would allow users to be able to visit any website without having their activity traced and monitored online. In order to to this, tracking companies need to agree that they will not monitor users who have enabled the do-not-track feature, and so far there have been no agreements publicly from any of these companies. This idea has come from certain growing privacy concerns about the online-tracking industry. Mozilla sees this move as attending to and honoring people's privacy choices.

Until recently, Mozilla, Microsoft Corp. and Google have been in competition focusing on speed and technical features more than privacy tools. However, last month Microsoft had stated that it would revive a powerful privacy feature in its Internet Explorer 9 that would allow internet users to stop certain websites and tracking companies from monitoring their activity. It was also said that Microsoft had done something along the same lines in their Internet Explorer 8. Google has also supposed to be announcing a privacy tool for its Chrome Web browser that will enable users to permanently opt out of ad-targeting. These privacy tools are said to be more difficult and complicated than stated here. It will require steps in deciding which sites to block, and identifying its extent.

Mozilla's privacy tool will not be set by default, but will only require the user to go in their settings and check a box to enable the do-not-track feature. Currently, Mozilla is unsure of when this will be released, but they intend on it being successful.

There are privacy settings in Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and as stated, it is complicated to change the settings for it. If you want to block certain settings, you need to individually identify which websites you wish to block, etc. It gets time consuming, and even though some people may wish to do so, they don't want to take the time to do it. It seems as though Mozilla's solution to this inconvenience would be much easier and less time consuming. All it really needs is the consent from the tracking companies.

Article Name: Firefox Web Tool to Deter Tracking
by: Julia Angwin

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704213404576100441609997236.html

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