Privacy in Internet Explorer

[Sumeet Pawar]

Some things you want to share, but some things you would rather not. That’s why the newest version of Internet Explorer, the Microsoft web browser software, is built with privacy in mind. Internet Explorer offers several easy-to-use but powerful privacy tools to help better protect your privacy. At Microsoft, your privacy is our priority.

Browse InPrivate. Browsers store information like your search history to help improve your online experience. When you use an InPrivate tab, you can browse like you normally do, but when you close Internet Explorer, InPrivate deletes passwords, search history, webpage history, and other data. Internet Explorer windows not using InPrivate will not be affected. To open a new InPrivate tab:

1. Click or tap the Tab tools button.
2. Click or tap New InPrivate tab.

Delete your browsing history. To delete your browsing history:

• On the Tab tools button click or tap Delete Browsing History.
• This action clears your webpage history, saved passwords, temporary files, and cookies that have accumulated as you browse.

Do Not Track header. The Do Not Track header sends a signal to websites that you prefer not to have information collected about your visit or used to track you as you browse the web. How the sites you visit choose to respond or interpret Do Not Track requests is subject to the privacy practices of those sites.

Use Tracking Protection. Tracking Protection helps prevent the websites you go to from automatically sending details about your visit to other websites. Additionally, when you have a Tracking Protection List enabled, Internet Explorer will send a Do Not Track request to the websites you visit. Tracking Protection Lists are like “Do Not Call” lists. When you turn on a Tracking Protection List, Internet Explorer will block third party–content from any site that is listed, and will limit the info that third–party sites can collect about you. To turn on Tracking Protection:

1. Open Internet Explorer for the desktop.
2. Click or tap the Tools button, point to Safety, and then click or tap Tracking Protection.
3. Click or tap Your Personalized List, and then tap or click Enable.

Note: To learn more about Tracking Protection and other ways to protect your privacy on Internet Explorer 11, read the Internet Explorer privacy statement.

SmartScreen Filter. The SmartScreen Filter helps protect you from websites that are suspected of hosting malicious content. When the SmartScreen Filter detects that a site may be unsafe, you see an alert with recommended actions.

Note: For more information, see SmartScreen Filter: Frequently asked questions.