Mozilla is set to become the latest company to add an optional "privacy browsing" feature its web browser.

The company said that it would be including a privacy mode in the upcoming version of the Firefox browser. Nicknamed "porn mode" the feature prevents the browser from downloading cookies or writing to the browser's cache or web history.

The privacy mode option is already available in Apple's Safari browser as well as Google's Chrome. Microsoft plans to implement it in the upcoming version of Internet Explorer.

Aside from hiding one's less-savory browsing habits, the feature is also of particular use for those who on public computers which may be shared with strangers, as it can prevent others from seeing such things as bank sites visited or other potentially sensitive information.

The privacy browsing mode is set to debut in the beta versions of Firefox 3.1 scheduled for its first release some time next month.

Posted: Sep 16, 2008 8:04 am