So it's sort of putting social pressure on Web sites. Intelytics is working on a product called Personal Sentinel that Wang said would work similarly. Programs including Webwasher, IDcide and AdSubtract block out banner ads, cookies and some Web bugs, said Smith. But privacy-enhancing software has its drawbacks. First, it can hamper performance, since some services route through private servers that can make surfing slower.
Some programs require considerable computer savvy.
And the better ones cost money. Meanwhile, there has not been a ground swell of demand for online anonymity. It only appeals to about 5 percent of the population, said Christopher Todd, a Jupiter Media Metrix analyst. All the more reason to put the onus on Web sites and Internet service providers, privacy advocates say. Whether or not that ever happens, Internet providers could today choose to configure their servers to give subscribers some degree of privacy.