The next version of the Internet Explorer Web browser will integrate new privacy protocols, giving Web surfers more control over what kinds of cookies to accept, Microsoft has disclosed. IE 6.0 will use features from the industry-developed Platform for Privacy Preferences specifications, according to Microsoft. P3P-compliant privacy policies can be read by a browser for ready comparison to a Web surfer's privacy settings. If a site's policy conflicts with a surfer's privacy requirements, IE 6.0 will issue a warning, and possibly block the site altogether. The new features make it more obvious that a site is placing a cookie on your browser.
Cookies are small files sent from a site to mark a browser's entrance.
Because Web sites can read cookie files on a surfer's computer, cookies can be used to track a person's movement across sites. They can theoretically be used in conjunction with other information to build a profile of an individual Internet user. Can Set Parameters Customers will be able to set privacy preferences on a five-tiered scale. Intermediate levels will reject or downgrade cookies with missing or poor P3P privacy policies, depending on where the cookie originates. A cookie might be downgraded if it comes from the site accessed by a browser.