Mozilla, Google: Online privacy
With the help and innovation of Google and Firefox, web tracking will now become a thing of the past, as users can now opt out of target advertising and sustain higher privacy settings
Mozilla and Google are now giving the users something they were looking for, more online privacy, by creating simple 'Do Not Track' buttons for web browsing software.
“The Do Not Track tool will be the step designed to guard privacy,” said Alex Fowler, a technology and privacy officer for Firefox maker Mozilla.
Users of Firefox will now simply have to opt out of any third-party advertising based tracking. For this the users have to set their browsers to transmit a “Do Not Track HTTP header” with every click or page view.
This new feature gives users a significant control over third-party ads, without compromising the revenue that fuels the web content.
"Mozilla recognizes the chicken and egg problem," said Alexander Fowler, the company's newly appointed Global Privacy and public-policy leader. Mozilla is asking that websites and advertisers join its efforts to, "Honor people's privacy choices."
Mozilla's move comes amid growing privacy concerns about the online-tracking industry. Last month, the Obama administration called for an online "privacy bill of rights" focused on the commercial data-gathering industry. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have said they will examine online-privacy issues this year.
The ongoing competition between the big three web browsers is more speed based rather than privacy. Microsoft says it plans to revive a powerful privacy feature in its Internet Explorer 9 that would let users stop certain websites and tracking companies from monitoring them.
Google, Microsoft and Mozilla's commitment for more privacy for the users comes when the US Government complained that online advertisers are able to collect too much data about people.
Google is not lagging behind on this issue and is expected to offer a tool called "Keep My Opt-Outs”, which enables Chrome Web browser to permanently opt out of ad-targeting.