Microsoft puts tracking blocker in preview version Edge

Microsoft has built a tracking blocker into the preview version of Edge based on Chromium. The tracking blocker is turned off by default, but can be turned on in the browser settings.

Users can activate an option in the browser to see the setting, after which they can choose three settings, Microsoft writes. The Basic option only blocks malicious trackers, the Balanced setting blocks most trackers but not all and the Strict variant blocks most trackers but may cause some sites to malfunction.

The option is only in the Windows version of the preview build for now, because there was a problem with the macOS version. The tracking blocker will also be included in the next build for macOS. The option doesn’t block ads, just the tracking companies do to build profiles of internet users to deliver more targeted ads.

The version Edge based on Chromium is currently in beta and should later appear as a stable version for Windows and macOS. With the switch from its own browser engine to Google’s open source engine Chromium, Microsoft wants to be able to further develop the browser faster and prevent fragmentation on the web.