And the idea that an innocent-looking piece of software might be sending back regular reports on my activities is Orwellian. Neither Web site privacy policies nor outside watchdogs offer people much protection. The company defends its actions by saying that no personal data were ever associated with the information collected and that personal information was never supplied to third parties. Entities such as TrustE and BBBOnline certify sites meet privacy standards, but their requirements are minimal. E-commerce may be young, but it's time for it to grow up.
Customers deserve to be treated with respect.
That means no secret spy mechanisms in downloaded software and no obscure ''gotchas'' buried in privacy policies. Sites should think twice about the resentment that collecting and selling clickstream information will breed in customers. At a minimum, visitors should have a simple way to opt out of any surveillance. When a customer expresses preferences about the handling of an account, or the presentation of ads or offers, those settings should remain in effect until the account holder changes his or her mind. And no personal information should be disclosed to third parties without explicit permission.