As you use popular search engines, you may notice that the online advertisements start to, for lack of a better phrase, read your mind. However, these advertisements are part of a widespread marketing tactic that aims to collect internet users’ search information and then direct ads to users based on their most frequent searches.
 
Today, though, the online advertisement industry is expected to announce a set of reforms and guidelines for their practice of what some internet users have seen as invasions of privacy. Apparently, users will be able to decide to not participate in what is called behavioral advertising in …read more

It’s not often that I find a relevant post on Boing Boing, but then again this one is by Canadian Cory Doctrow:
At issue in Stoddart’s letter is the idea of protecting “Digital Rights Management” anti-copying and use-control systems in law. These systems frequently spy on users and then “phone home” with detailed information about your activities. The Privacy Commissioner is understandably alarmed at the prospect of changing Canadian law to make it illegal to tamper with this spyware…Source: Canadian Privacy Commissioner rejects DRM: don’t give spyware legal protection! – Boing Boing

Here is the section of the letter from Privacy …read more