SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple Inc. is testing a "do-not-track" feature for an upcoming version of its Safari browser, according to a published report.
Browser companies are under pressure from the Federal Trade Commission to give users more control over the degree to which advertisers are able to follow them online.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Apple has added the feature to Safari in the latest test release of Lion, an update to the Mac OS X operating system that is slated for release this summer. Apple said it doesn't comment on unreleased products.
The major browser makers — Microsoft Corp., which makes Internet Explorer; Mozilla, which makes Firefox; and Google Inc., which makes Chrome — have each announced different types of tracking protections since the FTC revealed its proposal last year.
The tracking blockers are contentious because there are multiple ways they can be implemented and because they can hurt personalized advertising, an engine of electronic commerce.