Microsoft unveils new Edge Privacy Tools concept

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Microsoft unveiled a new privacy tools concept for the company's upcoming Chromium-based Microsoft Edge web browser on the first day of the 2019 Microsoft Build conference.

Microsoft's concept introduces a privacy dashboard in the web browser that aims to make things easier to understand for users.

The current version displays three privacy levels to users -- unrestricted, balanced, and strict -- which users may activate with a single click.

The concept may sound familiar to Firefox users as Mozilla's web browser uses privacy presets as well. Mozilla started to push Tracking Protection in Firefox in 2017 and improved the feature recently with new options.

Firefox users may select standard, strict and custom to block trackers and cookies (or allow them).

From what has been revealed by Microsoft, Microsoft's privacy dashboard comes without custom option. It is certainly possible that such an option exists as Microsoft did not reveal what else is listed on the browser's privacy and security configuration page.

All three presets block malicious trackers but the similarities end there.

Unrestricted: allow all trackers (but malicious ones), you will see personalized ads, sites will function correctly.
Balanced: blocks trackers from unvisited sites, you will see ads based on other visited sites, sites will function correctly.
Strict: blocks potential trackers, you will see minimal ads, will break some sites.

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