Online Identity and Privacy

Great post from Sean X on Online Privacy this morning at iMedia.  BTW, iMedia, you are killing me with your terrible site.  I'd like to share the link and participate in a conversation . . . let me know when you get around to that.

Some legislation pending in NY for companies to identify when they attached online activity to Personally Identifiable Information.  So it raises the fever again about the topic. 

Advertising is paying for what you are consuming!  Again, advertising, marketing, communications are paying for what you are consuming!  Would you rather have a micro-payment system that hits your charging plate for $.14 for every page you read or for search?  I didn't think so.  Hey, Ballmer, you really want to win with consumers?  Charge them $250/mo for an ad-free surfing environment!

Here's a spot on quote from Sean:

Why do you think that grocery stores give you discounts for using a simple card? Because they so value you as a customer and they are just being nice? Are you really that naive? That information with your purchase habits is immediately tied to your name and your address. Are you single and do you buy booze, condoms and cigarettes? Guess what? Don't be surprised if you start getting some fun, hip catalogs in the mail. But that is not where the danger is; the danger is that some health insurance company buys a grocery chain and then starts to adjust insurance rates based on your lifestyle. Think about that the next time you throw your grocery card down for that carton of cigarettes and the three liter bottle of vodka. That is scary, and a much more probable scenario than all the scare tactics about online privacy and behavioral targeting.

Let's introduce legislation to have retailers more explicitly ask for permission to attached diaper purchases to our VIP cards!!!