Most of us give up a little about ourselves every time we surf the Web. Web sites ask us to fill out questionnaires and lure us into sweepstakes as a payoff for content, or covertly drop cookies on our hard drives that allow ad agencies to trace our movements and cross-reference our surfing patterns with other profile lists. All this information may seem basic and benevolent, but in a different context, our computer footprints can lead to character inferences of everything from alcohol abuse, gambling, sexual orientation political views, or even medical conditions— information that would be of great interest to potential creditors, insurers, and employers who could use it to draw damaging conclusions and make decisions affecting our lives without our knowledge.
