Internet Explorer 9 to Ship with Anti-Tracking Feature

Internet Explorer 9 is set to bring a lot to the table in terms of new functionality, better Web standards support, faster performance and improved security, and it’s Microsoft’s hope that it will help put IE back on the map for those who have gone over to the alternatives. One feature just announced might do that, at least for those who care a lot about controlling the content they see.

Similar to JavaScript and ad-blockers, Microsoft is planning to introduce a feature that acts as an anti-tracking device, which will improve the odds of your data not being gathered by websites to be used for various purposes – most often advertising. In addition, it will also have the ability to control other types of content, including scripts.

Though this feature will be bundled with IE9, it will not be enabled by default. Nor will it even include settings for blocking content. Instead, that will be up to you to sort out, or in all likeliness, you could simply keep the configuration up to date with the help of third-parties. As it appears, these configurations could be updated automatically on a weekly basis, which is a huge plus.

Will a feature like this intrigue some users to ponder a switch from their current browser? It’s tough to say, but it’s definitely an appreciated feature, as long as it’s done right and is easy to use. The first release candidate that will feature this functionality has not been given a release date, but should be within the next couple of months.

The announcement comes not long after the FTC called for browser vendors to include a “do not track” button in order to block any kind of third-party usage tracking. Tracking Protection Lists would potentially be a finer-grained equivalent, allowing users to opt out of some or all tracking systems depending on their preferences. The lists might also be useful to prevent the kind of spying that YouPorn is being sued for.