ASK & MSN Join Forces in Embracing Privacy

As ASK is getting ready for the launch of ASKEraser, its anonymous search tool due out soon, it joined forces with MSN in an effort to create an “industry standard” to better protect consumer privacy. The two, who are more of the “market followers” in the industry joined yesterday and proposed a project which would “bring together businesses, advocacy groups and academics to develop a set of guiding principles that would help alert users when their online behavior is being tracked and for how long that information is retained.”

Privacy issues became public concern with Google’s planned acquisition of DoubleClick and the criticism followed it from the EU and the idea behind this new initiative is to create a single standard for search engines and online advertising to replace the current hodgepodge of privacy policies.

The success of this initiative depends at large on the cooperation seen from Yahoo (doesn’t plan on participating) and Google (doesn’t plan on commenting), but I am sure that if such a standard is formed, market forces would enforce the two to adapt accordingly.

[via SFGate]