Some Internet users have already taken measures to avoid online tracking with browser extensions, but Microsoft has decided to take one step forward in this direction. Along with the launch of Internet Explorer 10, Microsoft is also rolling out a more effective solution for users to escape online tracking - by making 'Do Not Track' default.

Microsoft outlined the new options on Thursday, May 31, in the official Microsoft on the Issues blog, and the company's Chief Privacy Officer Brendon Lynch said Microsoft's intention is to enable the "Do Not Track" feature by default with Internet Explorer 10. As this feature would be enabled by default, users would have to opt-out if they want to enable targeted advertising when browsing the Web. The "Do Not Track" feature does not block tracking altogether, but sends a notification to a site that the user does not want to be tracked.

Informed Choice

"We've made today's decision because we believe in putting people first," said Lynch. "We believe that consumers should have more control over how information about their online behavior is tracked, shared and used," he added. "Consumers should be empowered to make an informed choice and we believe that for IE10 in Windows 8, a privacy-by-default state for online behavioral advertising is the right approach."

With the previous iteration of Internet Explorer, IE9, the "Do Not Track" feature is included within the software, but consumers have to opt-in to the feature, as opposed to IE10's opt-out option. Current versions of major browsers such as Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome require a similar opt-in choice if a user want to avoid being tracked across the Web.

Advertisers and DAA Not so Pleased

This change in policy, however, has upset advertisers and the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), the Wall Street Journal reported. In an effort to avoid regulation from the U.S. government, the DAA has been trying to implement a self-regulatory system over the past year. The DAA is reportedly working on a registry similar to the national Do-Not-Call registry, that would enable users to avoid online tracking by opting into the service. On the other hand, this rule could be easily broken and abused, as the rest is up to all third party sites, and those sites can choose not to obey.

"Our commitment we made to the White House, the FTC and the public was that we would adhere to a default opt-out standard and we're in the process of figuring out the details," DAA general counsel Stu Ingis told Adweek. "Microsoft's move isn't reflecting consumer choice, it's one browser company making a unilateral decision that is not good for consumers."

Protecting Users' Privacy

Meanwhile, privacy advocates in Congress welcomed the change and praised Microsoft for trying to protect consumers' privacy. The advertising industry is expected to start acknowledging the "Do Not Track" notifications by the end of this year, and FTC is trying to get the advertising industry to cease tracking user data altogether. For now, the industry has only agreed to stop serving targeted ads to consumers that are utilizing the "Do Not Track" feature.