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WSJ – They Know What You're Shopping For

WSJ.com: “The widening ability to associate people’s real-life identities with their browsing habits marks a privacy milestone, further blurring the already unclear border between our public and private lives. In pursuit of ever more precise and valuable information about potential customers, tracking companies are redefining what it means to be anonymous…the sheer ease with which personal details can be shared online makes it difficult for people to know whether their information is safe. A Wall Street Journal survey of 50 popular websites, plus the Journal’s own site, found that 12 sent potentially identifying information such as email addresses or full real names to third parties…The Journal tested an additional 20 sites that deal with sensitive information, including sites dealing with personal relationships, medical information and children. Nine of these sent potentially identifying information elsewhere.”

  • See also WSJ.com’s ongoing privacy coverage – investigative reporting and analysis.
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