Microsoft remains one of the biggest privacy advocates on the market, so in order to show users that it really cares about their data, Redmond has started work on its own tracking technology that could soon replace cookies.

The technology in question is said to be in the early development stages at this point, but once it gets the green light, it could completely replace cookies and help Microsoft track users across Windows, Bing, Internet Explorer, Windows Phone, and even Xbox consoles.

Ad Age is reporting that Microsoft’s cookie replacement could be used to deliver more relevant ads to users, while also guaranteeing a superior level of privacy, as Redmond would be the only company responsible for dealing with consumer data.

At this point, Microsoft continues to bet big on its Do Not Track system integrated into Internet Explorer 10 and 11, sending signals to all websites that users do not want their actions to be logged. Microsoft has often been criticized for keeping DNT turned on by default, with the company always saying that it’s actually the user asked for such a feature.

At this point, it’s not yet clear if Microsoft wants to use the new tracking technology to promote its services exclusively, but it’s pretty clear that such a service would create a new opportunity for the company to serve ads on platforms where ads are still in their early days, such as mobile and gaming consoles.

Microsoft is yet to release a public statement on this, but following rumors that the company might actually merge the stores of its key platforms in the next couple of years, such a technology may very well make sense.

It remains to be seen if consumers can get used to the idea of Microsoft handling their data, despite the fact that Redmond has been one of the largest privacy supporters lately.