Many sites collect, share, slice, dice, and stockpile every click.
Few laws protect consumer records online.
Though most sites post privacy policies online, deciphering them is no easy trick. Mark Hochhauser, a linguistics expert in Minnesota, has analyzed dozens of them. He says most of the lengthy, le- galistic statements go over the heads of average people. Furthermore, privacy auditors say most policies are contradictory. Web sites are upgrading their customer databases with information from other online companies like the ad giant DoubleClick, and even employers and charities.