Internet marketing, consumer surveillance and personal privacy: social exchange or panoptic control?

The purpose of the paper is to address the tension between Internet marketers' routine collection and use of personal information, and consumer privacy concerns. Specifically, the paper identifies two contrasting perspectives into consumer surveillance associated with Internet marketing mechanisms and privacy concerns: the social exchange approach and the panoptic control approach. Following the basic assumptions of each perspective, the underlying meaning of consumer surveillance and its ramifications for personal privacy are explicated. Implications for Internet marketing are also assessed.