IE8 Suggested Sites suggested to be snoopy
Privacy activists are crying foul over the "Suggested Sites" feature in IE8, but Microsoft insists concerns about the feature, such that it might be used to serve up targeted advertising or that it poses a security risk, are misplaced.
The optional component in the next version of Microsoft's browser software "discover websites you might like based on sites you've visited". Collecting a user's browser history and using it to create profiles that steer users towards one website or another may seem like a useful pointer to Microsoft's developers, but the feature is giving some privacy-conscious surfers the fear.
Once the Suggested Sites feature is turned on, the addresses of websites visited are sent to Microsoft, together with data such as IP address, browser type, regional and language settings. This data is encrypted. However, Microsoft cautions (in a draft for its IE8 privacy policy here) that "information associated with the web address, such as search terms or data you entered in forms might be included".
