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Slide 6 of 25
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Slide 6 of 25
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Privacy has been in the news quite a bit recently as more people have connected to the Internet and as the Internet has become a more commercial medium. Prior to 1994, no commercial use of the Internet was allowed because it received Federal funding. But that funding ended and the Internet become a private sector network. One of the difficulties faced by the private sector was that the Internet was not based on a commodity model and users were not accustomed to paying directly for access to information and services. In addition, the protocols or standards that underly the Internet do not provide for an easy method of payment.
For these reasons, the "Commerce Internet" has developed on an advertising-driven model, much like television or radio. Advertising pays for the information services, not the consumers. The marketing needs behind advertising, however, require that information be gathered about the people who view the ads so that the advertising message can be properly targeted. It is this gathering of information about the sites that people visit and their activities online that has many people concerned about their privacy while using online networks.
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