Microsoft Dodges Privacy Issues With IE 9 Release

Microsoft is drawing fire, and rightfully so, for their new "approach" to privacy. Despite pressure to give consumers a "do not track" option, Microsoft has found a way to do that and still miss the mark. Their solution? You should add the websites yourself, of course, thereby removing any responsibility from their product.

The problem is that many people don't sit around and memorize logs of advertising sites, nor do people know which sites are the most dangerous. Loading a single web page can put a user into contact with literally dozens of advertisers whose purpose is to milk as much information as possible from this contact. Browser developers are caught between catering to the money or to the consumer. In this case, it's clear that Microsoft values the dollar more than the safety of their users.

To add insult to injury, the privacy option isn't turned on by default in the browser. Microsoft says they want to avoid judging which sites should be blocked, which is yet another washout answer. Are we to believe that the giant corporation doesn't have a clue which sites are engaged in the most devious of tracking? I was unable to find mention of any cooperation with privacy groups, or a call to action to weigh the risks and how to educate the public.

So in typical Microsoft fashion, they'll take the money and leave the work up to the suckers. I mean, consumers. This attitude is why I was so determined to move to Linux permanently, and why I smile every time I help another person move away from dependency on Microsoft. With the cloud and universal apps on the rise, we will no longer have to choose an operating system and these money grubbers will soon be replaced with a more ethically sound alternative.