Among the features of IE 8 is something called InPrivate Blocking, which blocks cookies and tracking pixels that are used to track user activity.

While individual's privacy concerns are reportedly the reason for those capabilities being featured in version of IE 8,the unwanted (at least by publishers and advertisers) effect will be preventing advertisers from knowing which of their ads are working. As a result, publishers - particularly smaller web publishers - will find it increasingly difficult to derive income from the advertisers (both CPM and merchants with affiliate programs) that allow their sites to provide free information and articles to their web audiences. (Although CPM advertising is a form of advertising that is purchased on the basis of impressions, in reality, sophisticated CPM advertisers keep a close eye on direct sales from the sites on which they place CPM ads.)

The ever-increasing prevalence of software designed to block the tools that allow publishers to make the income needed to create and publish information free on the web, will, I believe, eventually reduce the amount of good free content available on the web. Even though online publishers avoid printing costs, they still incur significant labor, overhead and marketing costs to create, gather, publish and market their sites online.