IP: FREE E-MAIL SERVICES COME WITH HIDDEN COST -- from edupage

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Online companies seeking to become "portals" to the Internet, such as Juno
and GeoCities, may offer free e-mail as a come-on to consumers, but at a
hidden cost.  The free services generally are available only after the user
has answered a series of questions about age, income, education level and
personal interests.  That information can turn into a gold mine once it's
made available to advertisers seeking to target specific audiences.  "If you
care about your privacy, the free e-mail and Web sites probably aren't worth
it," says the editor of Privacy Times.  Last Thursday, GeoCities was accused
by the Federal Trade Commission of lying to its two million customers when
it said it would not give away the personal information it collected from
them.  The company has now agreed to post a privacy notice on its Web site
that tells customers how the information they divulge will be used.
International Data Corp. estimates that there will be 40 million registered
free e-mail boxes by the end of the year, up from 14 million last year.
(Washington Post 21 Aug 98)