Microsoft is jumping on the search privacy bandwagon, issuing a press release Sunday evening that claims the company will "commitment to develop privacy principles that will enhance protections and provide more control for consumers."

The announcement also sees Microsoft and Ask.com [joining together to call on other search firms][1] to provide users with better privacy controls. Ask.com last week that it will offer users a new tool, dubbed [AskEraser][2], to control what information is stored, and for its part Microsoft has [issued some details][3] on how it plans to enhance user privacy.

Microsoft has said that it will give people the ability to opt out of ad targeting on third-party sites and that it will allow users to browse its own sites without a personal and unique identifier.

Google, the undisputed search leader, also [recently announced a change in its cookie policy][4], which are now only stored for eighteen months.

It would appear that search engines are waking up to users privacy concerns. But lest you think that search engines have suddenly had a change of heart about storing your data, keep in mind that they are increasingly under government pressure to do so.

The EU is currently investigating Google for possible breaches of EU privacy laws and the FTC is putting Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick under the magnifying glass over privacy concerns in addition to possible anti-trust violation.

And just because the investigations are targeting Google doesn't mean the rest can't see the writing on the wall.

Still, while the motivations may be suspect, providing increased privacy controls for users is a welcome change.

[Photo [credit][5]]

[1]: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/jul07/07-22MSAskPrivacyPR.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Releases
[2]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/07/unlike-google-a.html "Unlike Google, Ask.com To Offer Real Privacy Controls"
[3]: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/jul07/07-22EnhancedPrivacyPrinciplesPR.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Releases
[4]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/07/new-google-sear.html
[5]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hyku/368912557/