In a move that should make online privacy advocates happy, Apple is going to have a do-not-track feature in the next release of Safari for OS X Lion, due later this year.
The Wall Street Journal also notes that Google Chrome is now the only major browser that does not offer a do-not-track setting. Firefox and Internet Explorer already offer the feature. A Google representative said they “will continue to be involved closely” regarding tracking preferences. However they do offer an extension called Keep My Opt-Outs [Chrome extension] which promises a “one-step, persistent opt-out of personalized advertising and related data tracking.” The problem with this is that users must go to the trouble to install it, provided they know it exists in the first place.
It’s nice to see Apple finally joining Microsoft and Mozilla to protect users’ online privacy. Your turn, Google.
[via The Wall Street Journal]