Internet giant Google has released a new extension for the Chrome browser that allows users to navigate through advertisements while browsing the internet.
The new “keep my opt-outs” extension stores settings users lodge with opt-out programs, meaning users don’t have to rely on the browser itself to avoid those ads.
Sean Harvey and Rajas Moonka, product managers at Google, wrote in a blog post that users will be able to choose their settings once and then move on from there.
“A better ‘Do Not Track’ mechanism is a browser extension that means you can easily opt out of personalised advertising from all participating ad networks only once and store that setting permanently,” they said.
The trend is catching on – Firefox developer Mozilla has released a similar proposal of its own.
“When the feature is enabled and users turn it on, websites will be told by Firefox that a user would like to opt out of OBA. We believe the header-based approach has the potential to be better for the web in the long run because it is a clearer and more universal opt-out mechanism than cookies or blacklists,” Mozilla public policy leader Alex Fowler said in a blog post.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
