The problem is that many people have no idea that a third party is tracking their online activity. The World Wide Web Consortium is a nonprofit organization that sets standards for Internet technology and is currently developing a Platform for Privacy Practices. This platform would affect the language used in privacy statements, specifics in negotiations between the consumer and the Web site regarding privacy statements, and would create a specific standard for storing personal information. This would be a great aid to consumers who wish to safe guard their personal information. Cookies can be turned off, so if Web users go on a Web site with cookies, it will not be able to access consumer information.
Most consumers are unaware, however, that they have any control at all.
Furthermore, there are some Web sites that will not allow users access to their page when cookies are turned off. Each time a Web page is accessed with a Web bug, a message is sent to the server describing who and where the consumer is. This might not seem like a huge deal to some, but knowing what certain individuals read can give an advertiser a lot of personal information about them. This practice could potentially create more serious problems if this information was to fall into the wrong hands, especially in the instance of a political figure or celebrity. The Internet is a way to get information, and some people want to get it anonymously.