By removing the legal fences that for years stood between banks, insurance companies, and financial institutions, private information that was once the property of just one of entity is now readily shared. Internet industries currently rely on a system of self-policing to curtail privacy abuse. Yet despite privacy concerns, the use of cookies is not entirely sinister, point out many in the technology industry. For one thing, they allow consumers to fill out forms and state preferences only once. Mr. Parekh's company has developed technology that allows marketers to target Internet-users geographically, but without extracting other kinds of information.
Web sites can figure out, say, the Zip Code of a surfer, but little else.
Cookies also allow sites to tailor services to individuals, making suggestions just as a friendly store clerk might. For consumers concerned about privacy, Web browsers can be set to block cookies. Other programs will set off a warning if a site is collecting data. A key point is this is participatory information. But for some consumers, including Jones, these warning and blocking programs are too much trouble.