U.S. search giant Google says it is joining Microsoft, Mozilla and Apple in agreeing to give users a do-not-track option in its Web browser.
"We're pleased to join a broad industry agreement to respect the 'Do Not Track' header in a consistent and meaningful way that offers users choice and clearly explained browser controls," said Susan Wojcicki, senior vice president of advertising at Google, in a statement.
Google did not announce a time frame for modifying its Chrome browser to include a do-not-track feature, which would prevent companies from using information gathered from a user's Web browsing history to deliver targeted advertising, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.
Google's announcement came as the Obama administration called on lawmakers to create a "privacy bill of rights" to provide Internet users more control over how personal data is collected, stored and shared.
Mozilla added a do-not-track button to its Firefox browser last year, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer followed a few months later.
The next version of Apple's operating system, called Mountain Lion and scheduled to go on sale this summer, is said to include a do-not-track feature in the Safari browser, the Chronicle reported.
