Datamining your customers - standard phorm these days

The Washington Post has reported that some web service providers are datamining their customers without their permission shock horror (seen on Techmeme)!

Several Internet and broadband companies have acknowledged using targeted-advertising technology without explicitly informing customers, according to letters released yesterday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

And Google, the leading online advertiser, stated that it has begun using Internet tracking technology that enables it to more precisely follow Web-surfing behavior across affiliated sites.

The revelations came in response to a bipartisan inquiry of how more than 30 Internet companies might have gathered data to target customers. Some privacy advocates and lawmakers said the disclosures help build a case for an overarching online-privacy law.

Whoever would have thought - after all, this is the usual Phorm these days. Explains why Google and Yahoo were so quick to argue for self policing last week, they must have known this was coming out.

The problem with non or self regulated markets is there is no sting in the tail. By and large, to get minimum levels of good behaviour and quality you need to regulate, independently, and with teeth..