Microsoft Developing Cookie-Alternative To Track User Activity

Ad Age reports that Microsoft is looking to develop an advertising alternative to cookies, something Google has recently started to investigate. Microsoft wants to find new ways to track user activity across various devices so that their activity on one device can be used to calculate what adverts they may see on another device. Microsoft wants to unify the tracking across its software and hardware ecosystem so that it can more effectively target adverts to its users. Initially the system will roll out for Windows 8(.1) and Windows Phone and it could even be rolled out for the Xbox, but the Xbox is “on the latter end of that roadmap”.

While Microsoft’s plans are still in the “early stages”, Microsoft has already discussed going beyond the cookies with Ad Age stating:

“We agree that going beyond the cookie is important, our priority will be to find ways to do this that respect the interests of consumers.”

Microsoft is likely to respect user privacy more than Google does with its cookie-alternative advertising system, but the main driving force behind this move is to create a more effective advertising system that can monetise user activity data better, not improve the consumer/user experience in any way.

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