Understanding Privacy Policies and User Confusion Regarding Tracking

Privacy policies that explain a company's Web surveillance habits have done little to dispel confusion among Internet users about how they are tracked online, according to a report released Wednesday. The dense, legalistic documents that many commercial Web sites post . . . Privacy policies that explain a company's Web surveillance habits have done little to dispel confusion among Internet users about how they are tracked online, according to a report released Wednesday. The dense, legalistic documents that many commercial Web sites post to explain their data-collection habits are more likely to provide false reassurance than clarity to Web surfers, the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center found.

Prompted by privacy concerns and the threat of national legislation, most top Web sites now contain prominent links to privacy policies that explain how visitors are tracked and what is done with e-mail addresses, names and other personal information they provide.