Internet Privacy and Consumer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internet Privacy and Consumer - Essay Example Apart from this, with the growth of online technology, companies can now monitor every move of a consumer once the consumer is on the website. Though internet privacy is a major concern to many consumers today, data collection is considered a benefit by online companies. Many consumers are concerned that their personal information is accessed and monitored by different companies. According a poll released by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 72 percent are concerned that their online behaviors were being tracked and profiled by companies, while 82 percent of consumers are concerned about their credit card numbers being stolen online. A vast majority of consumer want to have control over what information is being monitored by Internet companies and want to have more control on their private information. of information is being monitored. Many companies argue that using data-monitoring and data tracking software is useful in building better products for the consumers. "The definition of the Internet as fully public rather than semiprivate is an important distinction to make since legal opinion tends to be built on the reasonable expectations that individuals have about how their information will be handled" (Cronin 4). Internet privacy is a big concern these days though consumers have had issues with privacy long bef