Internet advertising is relatively new industry. It is completely based on users’ search habits and interests. Search engines store search data on servers, then analyze the data to make it clear what the users are looking for.

Then the search engines provide online ads, products and services based on the analyzed data, to make sure, that the provided ads are similar to users’ search.

The first step to protect users was made by Google. The biggest search engine company shortened users’ search data storage time to 18 months. The next is coming Microsoft. Microsoft provides its users with more privacy. Now the company will remove users’ search data from server after 18 months. The company will come with new rules on July 23. Yahoo is going ahead offering 13 months of data storage time.

Microsoft will now provide with features to allow users forbid search engines use their personal search data to generate ads. It will keep search engine data separately from e-mail addresses, phone numbers, names and other data.

But any user can choose an option to combine the two data (search and personal data). If the user wants to see ads exactly fitting his search, he can choose this option, and the search engine will provide perfectly matching ads.

Microsoft will also permanently remove ‘cookies’. Cookie is the data, stored on user’s hard drive, to identify a user, such as web address. Google also took measures to delete cookies within two days.

In other words, users now will be able to tell search engines how to treat their personal data. They can control their own privacy settings. Users can keep their search data anonymous, or let the software track their search and provide with better ads, products, and services. HULIQ