In contrast, these conveniences must be weighed against the possible harms these same advances may cause. For example, as new software is introduced to ease Internet use, user anonymity shrinks every day. Innocent users of the Internet may believe they are completely anonymous, but this is not the case. In fact, cookies in Internet software assign each person a unique ID number that can be matched to that person. Even major companies cannot offer protection.
Laws concerning privacy vary from state to state.
The Supreme Court recently ruled there is no sweeping right to data privacy. In other words, the Internet is currently not governed by any law guaranteeing Internet users privacy rights to personal information or buying habits. For example, it is possible to purchase a person's driving records, personal profile, and family history for a relatively small fee on the Internet. What makes this practice scary is who is able to obtain the information and for what purposethe information can be used. Inmates in Maryland obtained phone numbers and addresses of their correction officers and began to harass them.