Strange icon on computer screen

[mrs_overall]

I tried to post an answer to a question on this site but couldn't. I noticed a strange icon just above my toolbar on the bottom right of my screen, like an eye with overlaid with a red circle with a red diagonal line through it.
Any ideas?

[PLIVELY34]

sounds like the spyware symbol to me if it's showing in your internet browser

[mrs_overall]

Yikes!
I've just tried again and when I clicked on it the words 'privacy symbol' showed. Other people have since posted answers to this question.
I'm still none the wiser but thanks anyway.

[Whickerman]

from microsoft
Review a Web Site's Privacy Policy
A Web site's privacy policy tells you what kind of information the Web site collects, to whom it gives that information, and how it uses the information. The privacy policies of many Web sites conform to the standards set by the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P). A compact privacy policy refers to one that complies with P3P standards.

If a Web site has a P3P policy, Internet Explorer 6 can display a summary of the policy for you to review. It can also compare the Web site's privacy policy with your privacy settings (which tell Internet Explorer 6 how to handle cookies). Based on its comparison, Internet Explorer 6 can decide whether or not to allow the Web site to block cookies coming from sites with privacy policies that do not match your privacy settings.

Note: When Internet Explorer 6 displays a Web site's privacy policy, it has no way to verify that the Web site complies with its own privacy policy.

1.
On the Internet Explorer 6 View menu, click Privacy Report.
Internet Explorer 6 displays a list of all the Web pages you've visited in the current session that have P3P privacy policies.

2.
In the Privacy Report box, click the Web site whose privacy policy you want to review, and then click the Summary button.
On occasion, you may get a message that asks you to contact the Web site directly. In that case, look for a privacy-related link on the site, often found at the bottom of the home page

[mrs_overall]

Thanks for that advice Whickerman