As is often the case with consumer information, however, such practices are rarely without controversy. Amazon declined to comment on customer information, but the online retailer drew a measure of wrath in August when it announced that is was posting information on the goods purchased by employees at scores of companies, schools, and nonprofit groups. Amazon later allowed those employees who wanted to be excluded from Purchase Choices to have their names removed, but privacy advocates were still appalled. In the case of RealNetworks, the company did not inform customers that they were monitoring the music they listened to or what would be done with that information. He added that EPIC is calling for federal legislation that will protect the privacy rights of Internet shoppers.
Some companies are believed to sell customer information surreptitiously, industry sources say.
However, most analysts agree that many companies would not dare take the chance of getting caught and alienating their consumers. If you're going to sell this information, you're going to ask permission from your customers first. Anil Gupta, vice president of marketing at software maker Broadbase, offered another reason that most companies won't sell the information. In the future, the people who implement this technology will have a huge competitive advantage over the ones who don't. Inc. All rights reserved.