Redmond, Wash.—A week after the Federal Trade Commission called for the regulation of behaviorally targeted ads via do not track laws, Microsoft Corp. announced that it will include an online behavior blocking feature in its new Internet Explorer 9 browser.

IE9, set to debut sometime next year, will offer Tracking Protection Lists, a feature similar to current popup blockers, that can stop specified websites from tracking users' online behavior through cookies or other methods.

Microsoft acknowledged the advertising industry's efforts to establish best practices in respecting privacy, citing a new program by several marketing and advertising organizations that provides prominent information about behavioral ads as they are served and gives viewers the ability to opt out.

However, the company said in a release that its new browser feature is in response to the FTC's new recommendations, which are not yet law, and is “a good start to enable consumer choice and protection from potential tracking.”