According to Engage Inc. , a Microsoft announcement
Thursday noted that Engage’s new TrustLabels specification would be
considered for inclusion in upcoming versions of Internet Explorer.
Internet marketer Engage said Thursday it was
“encouraged” by the Microsoft statement, included in an announcement on
cookie management features.
The Microsoft announcement comes just two days after Engage submitted an
enhanced specification of the TrustLabels standard to the Internet
Engineering Task Force (IETF). According to Engage, the new TrustLabels
specification will provide consumers with an instant alert from their Web
browser when they encounter third party cookies that are not certified by
authorities or seal programs. TrustLabels also, Engage says, allows
cookies to limit the number of times any one advertisement is displayed.
“We are pleased that a significant industry player such as Microsoft has
joined Engage and others in this ongoing dialog with policy makers and
privacy advocates to better promote consumer awareness and choice regarding
online data collection and use,” said Paul Schaut, president and chief executive officer of
Engage.
“Our own efforts in this field have been ongoing for several years, but this
represents an important first step for Microsoft and the Internet community
in the evolution of the browser,” said Schaut.
Engage said earlier this week that will lobby aggressively for the
implementation of TrustLabels as a free browser plug-in. The company said
it believes the use of TrustLabels will allow the Internet marketers to
continue to measure advertising, while simultaneously protecting consumers
from privacy violations.