I'd like to think that the industry could police itself with respect to privacy, and in most situations, i think the less government, the better. I fear and tremble. I trust Bill Gates less than I trust Government. On the other hand, I think the web and commerce on the web is too complex for the government to understand and regulate. This is why I hardly ever give out any information on the web that I wouldn't give out over the phone or in the mail.
Web commerce is still to immature to handle the security and privacy issues facing it today.
I remain optimistic, and will continue to be as active a consumer and netizen as i can be.