Microsoft accuses Google of bypassing IE privacy controls

[Simon]

Microsoft has accused Google of circumventing consumer tracking protections in Internet Explorer.

Google was last week accused of bypassing controls aimed at restricting tracking tools in Apple's Safari, prompting Microsoft to investigate whether the web advertising giant used the same tactics with its IE9 web browser.

In an outburst looking to cash in on the media storm created by the Safari research, Microsoft claimed that Google was not complying with privacy tools within Explorer.

"We've found that Google bypasses the P3P Privacy Protection feature in IE," said Dean Hachamovitch, corporate vice president for Internet Explorer in a blog post.

"The result is similar to the recent reports of Google's circumvention of privacy protections in Apple's Safari web browser, even though the actual bypass mechanism Google uses is different."

According to Microsoft, Google misleads the system, which explains to the browser how sites intend to use cookies in order to block or allow their deployment.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/373009/microsoft-accuses-google-of-bypassing-ie-privacy-controls

[Rik]

These days, we can play "Who's the biggest villain?" Life was simpler when there was just M$ to moan about.

[Simon]

This does feel as though MS are jumping on the bandwagon.  Surely, if Google can circumvent browser security, it's up to the browser developers to step up security?

[Rik]

That's what we have patch Tuesday for.

[Simon]

And now...

The ICO is looking into the way Google deals with cookies following revelations that the search giant was bypassing privacy protection methods in Internet Explorer and Safari.

The company has come under fire in recent days because it appeared to be employing advertising cookies despite users asking via their browsers for the tracking files not to be dropped on their computers.

A spokesperson for the ICO told PC Pro that the watchdog had contacted the company to ask for more details about the reports that it circumvented privacy measure included in both browsers.

"We have asked Google to explain the situation," a spokesperson told PC Pro. "We are aware of this issue and are continuing to make enquiries with Google to ensure that they comply with the Data Protection Act and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations."

Google has accepted that both reports were true, blaming the Safari example on a mistake and saying the system used by Microsoft was outdated.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/373045/ico-investigating-google-after-cookie-claims

[Rik]

Google has accepted that both reports were true, blaming the Safari example on a mistake

Must have been the same engineer who mapped all the wifi in the StreetView car.

[Simon]

Indeed!