If you use Chrome and you don’t like the idea of Google tracking your every click and website visit, you will soon have a “do not track” option.
Previously, your only option would have been to start using another browser, but Google has felt the pressure for user privacy and agreed to offer a “Do Not Track” button in its Chrome browser.
Google had specifically said it does not support the emerging browser standard that keep user privacy safe and secure no matter which website they visit, so this announcement is a complete 180.
The move comes just hours after President Obama’s administration revealed a “bill of rights” for user privacy, which is expected to go to deliberations in Congress and perhaps eventually become a law.
Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari all offer options that users can enable to tell websites that they do not want to be tracked. In Safari, this option will be even more prevalent to users once Apple updates its Mac OS X operating system.
The next most popular browser, Opera, is currently beginning to experiment with the technology. It, however, holds a substantially smaller share of the browser market than any of the top four.
The issue of user privacy has of course come under increasing scrutiny, with catalysts from Facebook and social networking sites, advancements in advertising, and mobile payment technology making the issue one of the most discussed topics of today’s technology environment.
