Google and Mozilla have announced features in their browsers that would protect users from being tracked online by advertisers.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report that supported a mechanism that allows consumers choose whether companies could monitor their online behaviour.
In a company blog, Mozilla technology and privacy officer Alex Fowler wrote about a proposed feature for Firefox browser that would inform third-party advertisers when a user does not want to be tracked.
The feature, Do Not Track HTTP header, would rely on companies that receive the information to agree not to collect data.
FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz said the move is a first step toward giving consumers choice about who will have access to their data. It also signals that Do Not Track options are technically feasible, he added.
Google’s approach relies on a browser extension, Keep My Opt-Outs.
In a company blog, Google said it would offer the code for the extension to developers on an open-source basis.
