I wrote about how Ask.com will soon be launching AskEraser, and how they’re going to put you in control of your privacy. Now Microsoft and Ask.com are getting together to call on the industry to develop global privacy principles for data collection, use and protection related to searching and online advertising.

Ask.com and Microsoft will reportedly work with other technology leaders, consumer advocacy organizations and academics to come together and join them in working on the development of these principles, which could include developing and sharing best practices to provide more control for us, the consumer.

Microsoft and Ask.com propose that search engines, online advertising companies, and privacy advocates get together and have an active dialogue to discuss privacy considerations “posed by the proliferation of online advertising and search.” Microsoft and Ask.com’s goal of this new dialogue is to find ways that the industry can work together to “define privacy principles that take these new considerations into account.”

Ask.com and Microsoft report that they will provide an update on their progress in September 2007.

More information about Microsoft’s and Ask.com’s current privacy policies and practices is available at here and here.