Maintaining privacy in a online world

As long as the government does not regulate online privacy policies, market forces will largely dictate the practices of most businesses. If the market values data collection highly, then data collection will be here to stay. Businesses that do not monitor their data collection practices or violate privacy policies risk serious repercussions from an unforgiving public. Companies continue to face criticism from the media and on Wall Street for egregious breaches of trust. Given this climate, businesses will seek solutions that show them to be good corporate citizens while delivering maximum value to their customers. For businesses, privacy and profit must go hand-in-hand.