Microsoft Quashed Effort to Boost Online Privacy

“The online habits of most people who use the world’s dominant
Web browser are an open book to advertisers. That wasn’t the plan
at first.

“In early 2008, Microsoft Corp.’s product planners for the
Internet Explorer 8.0 browser intended to give users a simple,
effective way to avoid being tracked online. They wanted to design
the software to automatically thwart common tracking tools, unless
a user deliberately switched to settings affording less
privacy.

“That triggered heated debate inside Microsoft. As the leading
maker of Web browsers, the gateway software to the Internet,
Microsoft must balance conflicting interests: helping people surf
the Web with its browser to keep their mouse clicks private, and
helping advertisers who want to see those clicks.”

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