Firms Sell Web Privacy, but Few Are Buying

The privacy market is hot, Wired observes, as new startups and big-name net companies are rolling out services to help consumers control information about themselves. But few may care enough pay for them. A new study shows most people are unwilling to spend even 25 cents to protect their privacy. "People prefer money over data, always," said a researcher.

Despite expressed concerns about privacy, many users routinely post detailed information about themselves on social networking sites. "Ask if they care about privacy, they'll say , 'Yes, absolutely, but I will not take down my MySpace page with my 400 friends on it because that's how I socialize,' " noted one company executive. (More online privacy stories.)