Google Adds Do Not Track Option to Chrome

Google has become the latest browser developer to offer users a Do Not Track option.

The company said that the feature, which is still being tested, could be included in the general release build of Chrome by the end of the year.

The Do Not Track system is a voluntary privacy program in which browser developers give users the option to enable a special line of code in their browsers which informs web sites and ad companies that they do not want to have their activities tracked.

In a statement first posted by AllThingsD, Google said the addition of a DNT option was part of an agreement the company reached with the US government.

A number of popular browsers, including Internet Explorer and Firefox already offer a DNT option as part of the browser settings. Microsoft in particular has been aggressive in adding the feature, making DNT activation a default setting in IE10.

While DNT has won the backing of the White House and the Federal Trade Commission, privacy advocates have criticized the voluntary nature of the platform. Because the platform requires web firms to activate DNT on their sites, critics charge that the feature is largely ineffective against bad actors.

This article was originally published on V3.