Google is to add a ‘Do Not Track’ option to its Chrome browser, letting users opt out of developers and advertisers tracking their web surfing habits.
The move follows similar features already rolled out to Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox. The option will enable users to confirm the websites and advertisers that they don’t want to get followed.
The company said that the feature, which is still being tested, would be available as part of the latest ‘Canary’ build of the Chrome platform.
The company has said that the feature could be included into 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 webmasters that they do not want to have their activities tracked.
Google said that the addition of a Do Not Track option was part of an agreement the company reached with the U.S. government on the implementation of Do Not Track.
A number of popular browsers, including Internet Explorer and Firefox already offer a Do Not Track option as part of the browser settings. Microsoft, in particular, has been aggressive in adding the feature, making Do Not Track activation a default setting in IE 10.