Limits on Web Analytics?  

We know now that a popular and thriving business model is that of selling data. Companies who aggregate this sort of data can figure out a scary amount of information on any one person. But now it seems like companies such as Aperture are also pulling data from companies like Experian (credit reports), Acxiom (marketing services), and Nielsen's Claritas (buyer behavior) and then combining that with Datran's database of e-mail addresses. They can then put consumers into neat, marketable, and useful demographics.

Basically the difference between Aperture and every other data collecting company is that it can pull massive amounts of "sensitive" data from offline sources to market to consumers. At hearings in early March, the Federal Trade Commission discussed whether this offline material should be kept out of marketers hands. Congress is debating whether this area needs some, or any, restrictions to protect privacy of consumers.

Companies can, and more commonly will, integrate the information consumers sign away when they access the internet and information from credit reports as well as sexual preference, organizational affiliations, and lists of friends and family members.

The original article is here.
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