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Today Google announced a new Chrome extension that aims to give users more control over online privacy. The extension is called Keep My Opt-Outs, and does mostly what the name suggests. It allows you to opt out of advertising tracking cookies while using Chrome. Google pointed to the statement from the FTC late last year about investigating the possibility of a do not track registry as the impetus for this new add-on.
The extension has a leg up on the HTTP header scheme Mozilla is developing. The extension will be able to store your preferences for opt-outs permanently. So if you clear your cache, all your opt-outs will remain in effect. With the Mozilla solution, you would lose all those cookie preferences. Chrome has very elaborate controls for cookies as it is, so users can even access those elusive Flash cookies.
This may not be the biggest shift in the browser landscape. After all, many Chrome users that care about ad tracking have already blocked ads. Google does, however, point out that more than 50 companies that support opt-outs that are compatible with Keep My Opt-Outs, and the top 15 ad networks are among them. Will you be getting the extension?
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Nyarlathotep
January 25, 2011 at 12:51pm
I recently shopped around for a deal on my first flat screen television. I compared prices and models among all of the common retailers (Newegg, Amazon, Tiger, ect). It is noticeable on any given site (even on non shopping sites) I browse now to see all of the custom ads pushing TV's. I knew roughly how the ad serving system works so I am not really surprised but I just never really noticed it this much before. Time to clear the cookies from the several systems I shopped from I guess.
mls067
January 24, 2011 at 4:11pm
I am going to try it and see what difference it makes. I have been using the internet long enough that I can "zone out" most ads anyway. And I'm sure the ad sites already know everything about me already ;-)
