When online advertisers learned of Microsoft s intentions, they immediately admonished Microsoft to refrain from including the feature in IE 5.5. Microsoft s new browser would have marginalized the agreement by allowing consumers to decide the privacy issue for themselves. This would expand MSN s advertising revenue at the expense of net-based third party advertisers. While many Web companies have signed on to Microsoft s P3P technology, many have not. In today s climate, it is likely that businesses that decide the P3P system will hurt their revenue, or provide an advantage to a competitor, will conjure the antitrust spectre to challenge Microsoft s innovation.
Nothing is more harmful to consumers than government-sponsored lawsuit abuse.
It is a grave misfortune that Microsoft s software developers have to confront the spectre on an almost daily basis.