Google Chrome Planning to Feature “Do Not Track” Button

Internet privacy has been the talk among Internet users recently. There has been a lot of fuss going on around this subject. And to appease its many users, Google is planning to feature ‘Do not track” button in its future release of Google Chrome. If the plan will push through, users can now browse using this search engine with an assurance that their browsing history will not be given away to Web services for tailored advertisements.

The Do-not-track functionality will add a field in the “http” header of each Web page that will prevent sharing of your browsing history to any company.

A few years ago, the Federal Trade Commission already suggested adding this button but many search engines and large technology companies opposed it. They are the ones who will be greatly affected of the change because majority of their revenues are from online advertising and tracking.

Last year, a new development came out. Mozilla’s Firefox featured do-not-track button and became the first browser to implement this. Apple and Internet Explorer then followed its footsteps.

According to Bloomberg, Google is now planning to be the next major company to add the do-not-track button in its Chrome browser by the end of this year. About 30% of search engine users worldwide use Chrome. Lily Lin, a spokesperson for Google from the public affairs department stated that the company will only add the button when there is already an agreed-upon definition for tracking.

A lot of browser companies are already committed to adding new privacy options for their users. But it is not a guarantee that Internet tracking will stop there. While the new do-not-track button may be able to put an end to personalize advertisements to any Internet user, the collected information are still permitted to be used for “market research and product development.” And even with the do-not-track button, Facebook will still be able collect data through the ‘like’ button.

Despite all these, the Digital Advertising Alliance which represents more than 400 tracking and advertising companies signified its support for the Federal Trade Commission in their effort to protect the Internet privacy of many users.