Microsoft plans Internet Explorer privacy mode
Published: 21 Aug 2008 08:48 BST
For many, privacy on the web is a concern. For Microsoft's Internet Explorer team, privacy is also a browser feature.
In a meeting with reporters this week, Satya Nadella, senior vice president of Microsoft's search, portal and advertising platform group, said the company's browser, Internet Explorer (IE), will come with a private-browsing mode.
On the Istartedsomething.com blog, details have also surfaced of two telling Microsoft trademarks that appear related: Cleartracks and Inprivate.
Both trademarks relate to web browsers, according to the applications, with a 30 July filing date. The Cleartracks trademark involves "computer programs for deleting search history after accessing websites", according to the Microsoft filing.
The Inprivate trademark involves "computer programs for disabling the history and file-caching features of a web browser; and computer software for notifying a user of a web browser when others are tracking web use and for controlling the information others can access about such use".
Microsoft did not comment on the applications beyond a brief statement: "We are investing in privacy in IE8".
In a June blog posting, Microsoft said privacy is one of the major components of the "trustworthy browsing" element of IE8. "The larger challenge here is notifying users clearly about what sites they're disclosing information to and enabling them to control that disclosure if they choose," the company said.
Microsoft said privacy means "the user is in control of what information the browser makes available to websites".
Internet Explorer is the dominant web browser. Version 8 is currently in beta testing and due in final form later this year.
Programmers have envisioned a private-browsing mode for Mozilla's Firefox browser but, so far, have not put the privacy feature into the open-source browser. Apple's Safari has a private-browsing mode.
Credit: Microsoft planning IE privacy mode from CNET News.com
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