Mac OS X Lion’s Safari Includes Do-not-track Tool

After a vulnerability was caught, Apple's Mac OS X Lion now includes a do-not-track tool for its Safari web browser.

With the exception of Google, Apple has joined the makers of major web browsers to support the do-not-track feature. This feature sends a message to websites and advertising networks requesting not to track users. However, this tool requires cooperation from marketers and website owners to function properly.

The do-not-track tool, backed by Mozilla, has not yet been included in Mac OS X Lion’s pre-release version of Safari as a preference option. However, it can be activated from the Develop contextual menu.

Lately, online privacy has been a hot issue in the tech world. Lawmakers and security researchers pressured Apple and its partners for information on how Mac OS X and iOS handle user data. In fact, a federal grand jury served subpoenas to several mobile developers of Apple iOS and Google Android as part of its investigation of sharing user data to ad networks last week.

Hence, Apple invited security experts to examine a pre-release version of Mac OS X Lion last February. The researchers disclosed a vulnerability in Safari last March, after security analyst – Charlie Miller – demonstrated a hack during the Pwn2Own contest.

Check out AppleInsider’s full Mac OS X Lion preview for more details.