Microsoft has launched a new internet browser that will let people surf the web without leaving a trace of the sites they have visited.

Nicknamed 'porn mode', the InPrivate feature on the firm's newest version of Internet Explorer hides the browsing history from any other people who are using the same computer.

The setting will come as a blow to internet rival Google which relies heavily on users' browsing histories to deliver targeted advertising.

Firms like Google have caused an outcry over the way they gather information about people's surfing habits and then use the information to decide which adverts to show.

Google currently only makes 10 per cent of its money from display advertising but is hoping to increase this percentage in the near future.

The program also covers other footprints, including temporary Internet files and cookies, the small data files that websites put on visitors' computers to track their activities.