Dear Concerned Consumer,

With growing frequency, information about how you use the Web -- the sites you visit, search terms and other queries you make, online purchases, "click through" responses to advertisements -- is being captured by advertising networks or "profiling companies." With the permission of the Web site, but not your permission, these companies place a tag on your computer. This tag -- or identifier -- is then used to track your movements as you surf the Web. In addition to long lists of collected information, a profile may contain "inferential" or "psychographic" data -- information that the company infers about you based on your surfing habits. From this amassed data, elaborate inferences may be drawn, including your interests, habits, associations, and other traits.

The practices of these companies were the subject of a public workshop sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission on November 8, 1999. The principal business of online profiling companies is "delivering targeted advertising that can be tailored to consumers' declared or predicted characteristics or preferences."

If you would like to regain control of the tracking of your Internet surfing habits, simply follow the instructions for each of the "Online Profiling" companies listed to the left. These companies offer the ability to Opt-Out online. Although many of these companies still do not give users ultimate control over their information, they are all ahead of most of their competitors. We'll frame the sites so that you can click down the list.

Be aware that if you use multiple computers or web browsers you will need to do this process multiple times. For example, if you want to opt-out of your machine at home and at work, you need to do this for each computer at each location. If you use more than one web browser on a computer, you will need to do this again with each browser.

If you find others to add to this list, please send them on to us - suggestions@opt-out.cdt.org. Check back because this list will expand as new opt-outs are sent in. If you find sites that do not allow you to opt-out online, write to them and ask why they don't!