The software allows users to privately surf the Web using fictitious identities and to send and receive e-mail that can never be traced back to them. The goal of such software isn't to make users anonymous but to afford them more control over how their personal data is harvested and used, McLaughlin insists. Privacy need not be the very antithesis of personalization. . . . Privada is just one among a horde of companies trying to tap into a market fueled by growing privacy concerns. Calif.-based IDcide Inc.'s Privacy Companion is a free application that works with a Web browser to help users determine when and by whom they are watched on the Net.
Users can then choose whether to permit such snooping.
They also can set controls on the kind of personal data that can be extracted by Web sites. The profile is updated continuously as users traverse the Web, but it's up to the user to decide which information to make available to Web sites. Bidirectional automatic cookie filters let users block cookies from sites they dislike. The company's Freedom software ensures that any profiles and browsing history linked to a Nym can never be traced back to the real user - even by the company. If properly used, such software can actually help foster better personalization rather than deter it, says Bonnie Lowell, CEO and president of Youpowered.