Microsoft makes much of Google gaffe

SOFTWARE FIRM Microsoft has wasted no time joining in talk about Google and privacy and is suggesting that the firm's users should move to its services for all their personal protection needs.

Google, we learned this morning, made a bit of a error with users running Apple's Safari web browser and was caught circumventing privacy settings.

Google has already rectified this, but hours after that happened, the wags at Microsoft have come up with a response.

Before you laugh at Microsoft, remember that you are supposed to laugh with it. Also, try to remember how much it costs to come up with marketing wizardry like this.

"This type of tracking by Google is not new. The novelty here is that Google apparently circumvented the privacy protections built into Apple's Safari browser in a deliberate, and ultimately, successful fashion," said Ryan Gavin, general manager of Internet Explorer business and marketing in a blog post.

"If you find this type of behavior alarming and want to protect your confidential information and privacy while you're online, there are alternatives for you. Windows Internet Explorer is the browser that respects your privacy."

There follows some marketing information about what makes the Microsoft machine so great, in particular the fact that Internet Explorer users are not watched by advertisers, as well as some guff about industry recognition.

We'll leave that sort of thing to Gavin. µ