Do-not-track feature for browsers unveiled

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CHELMSFORD, Mass., March 27 (UPI) -- Security firm AVG has announced a do-not-track feature for Windows that will run as an add-on for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers.

The new tool is available to users of its free and paid AVG Anti-virus security products as a free update, the company said.

AVG's do-not-track feature actively seeks out tracking cookies and alerts users if a site is attempting to set a tracking mechanism, PC World reported Tuesday.

If a tracking cookie is found, the do-not-track feature will inform the user whether it's a tracking cookie from an ad network, a "social button" such as those used by Facebook and Google's +1, or a Web analytics cookie.

A number of companies are offering do-not-track tools in response to the Federal Trade Commission's call for such a feature.

Online privacy company Abine has released a browser add-on called Do Not Track Plus for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari designed to block advertising companies and social networks from gathering personal information through online tracking of a user's browsing habits.

Mozilla is also working on do-not-track features for its Firefox browser and in 2011 Microsoft introduced a do-not-track feature for Internet Explorer 9.