IE 8 to include private browsing feature

As CNET News first reported last week, Internet Explorer 8 will include a way to surf somewhat anonymously, allowing the user to suspend browsing history, cookies, and other identifying information. Mozilla had considered such a feature for its Firefox 3 release, but dropped it for technical reasons. Apple Safari also includes a similar feature.

Known as InPrivate, Microsoft is touting the feature as one of several security enhancements within its next major browser release. The scenarios for using InPrivate include when you're using someone else's computer, when you need to buy a gift for a loved one without ruining the surprise, or when you're at an Internet kiosk and don't want the next person to know which Web site you visited. While you can currently clear the browser cache with a mouse click, it's an all-or-nothing action. InPrivate temporarily suspends the automatic caching functions, allowing you to keep the rest of your browsing history intact.

ZDNet columnist Mary Jo Foley calls InPrivate IE's "porn mode."

The IE development team at Microsoft has more details about InPrivate here. They've even produced a video.

InPrivate will be available in IE8 Beta 2, which is expected to be released sometime before the end of the month. Final release for the browser remains scheduled for November.

[Lerianis]

I don't know why browsers didn't have this included in them by default. So far I haven't been able to find something like this in Firefox 3 (it would be a good addition), but they have some add-ons that do the same job pretty well.

[SeizeCTRL]

Enable CLEAR PRIVATE DATA on Exit and it will remove everything you mark/check box.

Surprised there is not an extension to do this.

[floatingworld]

Safari has had this for years nice keeping up microsoft.

[kirkules]

Yeah I got Safari too but it doesn't hide my IP address. Those websites that zero in on where people live or claim that all those single women are looking for me. Amazingly they all live in my county.

[Penguinisto]

No browser can hide your IP address - even if it tried, your router would happily report it for you.

[nojava]

How about a cookie manager!!!

[Someone-else]

while it is a good feature to have, i don't see many uses for it in the daily use.
and i'm sure FF has an extension for that...

[tobart]

Seriously? You can't see daily uses for it? No offence, but I'm assuming you are not male? I'll give you a hint: porn.

[johnsbrn1]

I have a great feature idea for IE 8, how about at least making some attempt to properly implement web standard like every other modern browser. I am not a Microsoft hater or a troll, I am a web developer that has to deal with IE's "idiosyncrasies" every day of my life.

[Core_M]

Here is to saying goodbye to IE hacks!

I've deved for IE8 beta though, and its not much better from previous versions in that its just modifying the rendering engine from one non standard-compliant one to another slightly more compliant one.

This is going to meant that we'll see many versions of IE slowly approaching compliance, but all still being different. What fun!

[MS_Tech_H8r]

I'm not a developer but I would like very much to see IE make some effort to adhere to Web standards rather than constantly attempt to create them in their own image. Oh, and for everybody's sake please, get rid of ActiveX once and for all.

[wezhind]

I am a web developer and have also had issues with IE over the years and have cursed IE along with the rest. However I do think its worth thinking about how some MS non-standards have become standards - AJAX anyone?!

Also haven't MS claimed 'full' compliance for IE8+. I'm running the beta now, no major complaints yet about its rendering.

[internetworld7]

Safari had this feature introduced in April of 2005! Thank you Microsoft for being 3 years behind Apple... again. ?

[timber2005]

But, lets not forget these two things shall we?
1) Safari for WINDOWS only arrived this year, making it less than a year that any windows user had such a feature.
2) Mozilla (the quick to be up-to-date one) is going to be behind Microsoft in offering the feature, which as you correctly said, is behind Apple.

[Don Key]

I love this feature of Safari. I can't believe all browsers don't have it. The only people who will hate this are parents/spouses that want to spy on others so it's good that it takes that away from them.

[EssexLady]

Yes, parents will hate the fact that children will now be able to use IE 8's InPrivate Browsing to "take away" the parents' ability to keep a close eye (spy) on their browsing habits! And that is PRECISELY why I hope there is or will soon be some way to block the use of InPrivate Browsing through the parental controls panel! And I'm sure if Mr Key had young children/teenagers of his own, he would be just as incensed as I am that Microsoft has taken this ability away from parents!!!

[fredtheviking]

A cookie manager? How about a cookie monster!

[paul.saulnier]

I love the intended uses for this feature cited in the article. My guess is that 95% of its use will be to block tracking of visits to pornography sites. But it would be politically incorrect to recognize that, right?

[The_Decider]

Too bad all of IE isn't merely 3 or 4 years behind.

The should call it "InPrivateExceptWeWillStillKnowBecauseOfAllTheBackdoorsWePutInIt"

[fcs25]

Apple develops Microsoft copies a few yrs later.....great technology.

[n3td3v]

The government still get the data.

[SJ2571]

All this talk about it only being for porn surfing is rubbish. There are plenty of privacy scenarios, as mentioned. Those who talk about porn porn porn are probably the ones surfing it.

[paul.saulnier]

Or just the ones who aren't naive.

[Rawnchie14]

Except both IE and Safari (ESPECIALLY Safari) are junk, and probably will still be junk. I'll stick with Firefox unless IE changes something else, k thnx.

[rapier1]

So people are upset that MS is including something that Safari has had for a while. I'm not really understanding why this is a bad thing. Every software developer in the world borrows ideas and concepts from every other developer. This is the normal way of doing business. More importantly, if it is a good idea why shouldn't it be incorporated? What should MS do, not include a useful and important feature because they didn't come up with it first? While I think it would be great if MS came up with a ground breaking revolutionary idea that completely changed the way we use the web (like when they came up with AJAX) I don't think its bad that they are including useful and functional features.

[TV James]

This is nice and all. I can't figure out why I'd use it (unless it offered tunneling and built-in WebSense skipping proxy support).

I'd be much happier with a faster, smaller footprint, standards-compliant version of IE.

[Penguinisto]

@rapier: upset, no... I personally find it humorous, and in a way I'm glad they finally got around to it.

[goodspeed8701]

why the apple eaters like saying rubbish. well it wasn't apple that started using the monitor so why dont u ask them to use something else.

[Drew_Smith]

All "porn mode" joking aside, I don't see why this wouldn't be offered as a feature - the more customizable a tool, the more user-friendly. Simple as that.

Browsing with anonymity? Yea right! I wonder if they'll (microsoft) finally be getting rid of that hidden DAT file that records everything you browse to. Microsoft has had that dat file in place since IEs beginning and it records every URL you visit as well as all items the browser downloads. This file is purposely 'hidden' and cannot be deleted. If someone ever cleared out all their cache and history and files, you could always use a program that reads the DAT file to see everywhere they've been. Unless microsoft has decided not to continue down this path, then all this new anonymity crap they're shoveling is just that, crap.