Next year's Service Pack 2 update for Windows XP will include popup-blocking features in Internet Explorer, Microsoft said November 10, a move the company says will take a big enough step toward stamping out the controversial Web advertisements.
Microsoft spokesman Darin Linnman told CNET the company plans adding the blocking tool to an updated IE when the second service pack is released in the first half of 2004. But Linnman also said Microsoft will gather customer feedback to be weighed as part of final decisions on adding the blocking tool.
"By adding pop-up blocking tools to IE, Microsoft will belatedly join a host of other Web browser makers that let people avoid flashy pop-ups, or advertising windows that appear over or behind requested Web pages," CNET said. "Opera, Mozilla and Netscape--all of which have only a minor share of the total browser market--give users the option to seamlessly block intrusive advertising while surfing the Web. Because Microsoft dominates the browser market, it could greatly influence people's ability to remove the ads with ease."
Internet security consultant Richard Smith told CNET "a lot of markets" might not be that thrilled with Microsoft because of the new tool, "but it could go a long way to killing the popup problem. It's just an easier solution to turn it off in the browser," instead of downloading popup-blocking software, he said.
Last year, EarthLink took something of the lead among Internet service providers in offering users popup-blocking tools, followed by America Online promising not to sell popups to third parties and releasing popup-blocking technology in version 8.0, CNET said. Two months ago, Yahoo and SBC updated their own joint Net access services to include popup-blocking technology, and Google has also given users popup-blocking tools.
