Edge now explains in detail what companies track you on the Internet

Microsoft is working on improving built-in privacy tools in the Edge browser to provide users with a clearer explanation of how various companies track people on the Internet. The latest update for Edge Canary has brought a redesigned section with the list of blocked and allowed trackers.

In the current stable version of Microsoft Edge, the browser has a “Blocked trackers” section where users can see what companies try to spy on them and how Edge fights back.

In Edge 98, which is currently available for public testing in the Canary channel, Microsoft replaced “Blocked trackers” with slightly more explicit “Ad tracking companies.”

A new phrasing may motivate users to pay closer attention to their privacy and learn more about privacy-invading companies.

The 'Ad tracking companies' section in Microsoft Edge

Inside the “Ad tracking companies” section users can now filter the list of tracking companies. Sorting is available by most seen, alphabetical, blocked, and allowed.

Strict privacy requirements

Another change is that users can now allow companies that meet Microsoft’s “strict privacy requirements” to personalize ads and web experiences. Interestingly, this toggle is on by default, but users can opt out and disable it.

There is a small question mark button with a brief explanation of how the exception list works. It also includes a “Learn more” link, although it currently leads to the main page of the Edge Insider website. We assume Microsoft will replace that with a privacy policy page once the feature rolls out to more users.

In case you missed it, Microsoft Edge recently received a new performance tracker that can keep an eye on tabs and suggest how to improve performance and reduce the resource load. Like the improved web trackers section, the performance monitor is available to a subset of Edge insiders in the Canary channel.