Part of the reason that consumers are afraid for their privacy is because online companies set up profiles on their consumers. Not all consumers are pleased about this. Many times profiles are set up without consumer knowledge. This includes the type of merchandise they buy, what websites they go to, and how often they make purchases online. A lot of the information gathered can be limited by the consumer.
Many online sites ask the consumer for information before they can make purchases.
The consumer is not obligated to give all of this information to the website. Some consumers are willing to give up some of their privacy. They expect to get better service this way. They expect the company to better fulfill their needs. They also expect the company to keep the information to themself and not sell it to other online companies.