Microsoft Unveils Enhanced Security Features for Internet Explorer 9

Microsoft has detailed new security features for Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) that will help users prevent sites from tracking their activity across browsing sessions.

The new feature, set to launch with the first release candidate of IE9 early next year, uses a list to control which third-party elements can be blocked from tracking. These elements include advertisements and embedded widgets from specific providers.

Dean Hachamovitch, head of Internet Explorer development, explained how this feature works on Microsoft’s IE blog:

“A Tracking Protection List (TPL) contains Web addresses (like msdn.com) that the browser will visit (or ‘call’) only if the user visits them directly by clicking on a link or typing their address. By limiting the calls to these websites and resources from other web pages, the TPL limits the information these other sites can collect. You can look at this as a translation of the ‘Do Not Call’ list from the telephone to the browser and web. It complements many of the other approaches being discussed for browser controls of Do Not Track.”

In a Webcast announcing the feature, Hachamovitch highlighted that most users are unaware of who can track their activity. He attributed the creation of this feature to the company’s more open approach to developing features for IE9.

Microsoft is allowing both users and third parties to create and host protection lists on their sites. Users can then download these lists to their browsers. Microsoft has also created lists similar to RSS feeds, allowing updates to occur without the user having to manually update them.

Hachamovitch clarified that tracking protection will not replace InPrivate filtering, a feature added in IE8. Instead, it is complementary. InPrivate filtering uses algorithms to control tracking and does not persist across sessions. Tracking protection, however, remains active once enabled.

Tracking protection will not be enabled by default when it launches next year. Users will need to opt-in and seek out lists of sites, which will not ship with the browser upon release.

Since its beta release in September, IE9 has been downloaded over 15 million times.

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