The Value of Privacy - Technology Review

Excerpt from a timely Web privacy reality check

"Such ads are a multibillion-dollar business. All the same, Microsoft's chief privacy officer says the forthcoming Internet Explorer 10 will be the first browser to have "Do Not Track" turned on by default. For Microsoft, trust is the greater competitive advantage.
Before you cheer, you might ask if there is any real harm in commercial tracking. Despite the hand-wringing, it's not so easy to find people who have been hurt by the collection of their personal data. Just ask the trial lawyers who have been bringing a ballooning number of privacy suits. At first, courts rebuffed their class-action claims; they could not show "harm in fact.""

The Value of Privacy - Technology Review