• On May 31, 2012, Microsoft announced that it will make “Do Not Track” a default feature in its next web browser release, Internet Explorer 10. This signals a shift in Microsoft’s previous policy: in Internet Explorer 9, “Do Not Track” was a feature but users were required to opt in to turn the feature on. Making “Do Not Track” a default setting will set Internet Explorer apart from other web browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, both of which require users to opt in to the feature. Microsoft states that it made its decision in part because “of the work of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission which ... called on the technology and advertising industries to create a more uniform and comprehensive consumer choice mechanism for online behavioral advertising targeting.” Although the FTC has not yet made a final decision regarding whether to fully support “Do Not Track”, it first proposed the policy in 2010 and has applauded companies who have decided to implement the technology. “Do Not Track” allows users to block third-party cookies, which are used to piece together Internet users’ personal information and online activity. Microsoft’s announcement is here.