Monday, September 15, 2008
A feature in Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 browser which suggests sites to visit based on the URLs entered into the software has been defended by the firm.
Cyra Richardson, a principal program manager at the software giant has told Computer World that the information gathered during the "phone home" process is "pretty innocuous".
"We capture as little uniquely identifiable information as possible," Richardson alleged.
It was compared to a similar feature of the Google Chrome web browser, although Microsoft differentiated its offering on the grounds that it requires explicit permission before the Suggested Sites feature is turned on.
Elsewhere, Tech Republic has also reported on criticism that the newest version of Internet Explorer causes some pages designed in earlier versions to display incorrectly.
However, the compatibility can be addressed on a site-by-site basis using another built-in function included in the program.
The site also warned that in certain instances, compatibility issues between the browser and Google Toolbar may present a network security and stability threat.
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