Rank	Site	What Information Is Gathered	How The Information Is Used	With Whom The Information Is Shared	Privacy Organizations	How Much Control You Have
1	Yahoo.com	How often users access different parts of the site; personal information such as screen name, billing address, credit card number, and type of computer used	User trend information is used to target advertising; personal information helps personalize the site and is required for contests, sweepstakes, and registering, among others	User's personal information is not shared with anyone else; generic information about user trends is shared with advertisers	TRUSTe	You will always be asked before your name is placed on a mailing list; you can change or delete the contents of your account at any time
2	MSN.com	Personal information such as name, e-mail address, and ZIP code; general information about user trends	Personal information lets you register as a user at the site and participate in sweepstakes and contests. It also personalizes the site	MSN does not sell your information to other sites; unless you opt out, MSN will share your information with their necessary service partners	TRUSTe	You can update information at registration pages; can unsubscribe to services for which you've previously signed up
3	AOL.com (NOTE: The AOL Internet online service has a separate privacy policy.)	Always collecting data about user trends; collect name, IP address or screen name, billing address, and credit card number	User trend information is used to target advertising; personal information is required when ordering a product or using a service	No personal information is shared with anyone else; they provide user trend information to advertisers	TRUSTe	Use a link on their privacy page to ask questions about and make changes to your information; you can always opt out of mailing and directory list participation
4	Microsoft.com	Name, e-mail address, and other personally identifiable information in order to register, download software, or enter contests	This information makes the content more relevant to you and does away with having to re-enter personal information each time you access the site	Sometimes Microsoft will share your postal address with other companies so they can send you mailings; you can opt out of this	TRUSTe	You have access to your profile center so you can review and update your personal information
5	Netscape.com	Name and contact information when you register; also uses cookies to collect generic information about user trends and keep track of the personal information you gave at registration	The information shared with Netscape's affiliates will help provide personalized content and products and services	Netscape affiliated service providers; they also have partial access to Netscape's database; advertisers are given collective user trend data	TRUSTe	You can update your personal information in Netscape's Member Center; they also provide a way to contact Netscape, TRUSTe, and the Better Business Bureau
6	GeoCities.com	This is a Yahoo! site; the same privacy policies apply	Same policies as Yahoo!	Same policies as Yahoo!	TRUSTe	Same policies as Yahoo!
7	GO.com	User trend information; name, birth date, and e-mail address will all be collected at registration or when shopping or using other services; cookies are used but not to keep passwords or credit card numbers	User trend information is used to personalize content; personal information is used to provide services such as shopping, weather, sweepstakes, and contests	Personal information will be given to other GO network sites unless you stipulate not to; user trend information will be given to advertisers	TRUSTe	You can correct, change, or delete any of the data you give to the GO Network; you can choose not to be on any mailing lists
8	Passport.com	The only personal information they require is your e-mail address, but if you want to use their Passport Wallet feature, you'll have to provide much more; user trend information is also gathered	User trend information is used for targeting ads; the personal information collected is used to speed up and personalize your time spent at Passport.com	Your personal information won't be shared or sold with anyone else without your consent; this is given by clicking Passport sign-in or express purchase /wallet link; user trend information is given to participating sites	TRUSTe	You can change or update any information in your wallet by going to Passport Member Services
9	Hotmail.com	Name, state, ZIP code, gender, year of birth, and employment ( Profile information ); also collects user trend information	Profile information is used for demographic statistics and personalizing advertisements	No information will be shared with third parties; the only e-mail correspondence you will receive is a welcome letter and notice of problems with your account	TRUSTe	Your information can be updated at any time; you will always be notified before giving out any information that is personally identifiable
10	Lycos.com	Name, e-mail address, and postal address; also uses cookies to save passwords and usernames and to monitor user trends and patterns; third-party advertisers may also use cookies	Personal information is collected at the time of registration and is used to personalize the site; user trends are used largely to offer products and services that match user interests	Information given in connection with e-mail or chat will be shared with the providers of those services; personal information is shared with Lycos Network members and companies you've ordered goods from	TRUSTe	You can update or correct your account but you can't completely delete your information from the database; you can opt out of receiving updates on new services
11	Excite.com	Anonymous user trends; personal information such as your name and address if you are registering or entering a sweepstakes	If you click on an ad, they may place a cookie on your hard drive to learn more about user trends; personal information is collected to provide personalized services such as local weather forecasts	Unless you give your consent, your personal information will never be given to outside parties	TRUSTe	Update the information you have provided by going to the Excite@Home Member Services area
12	Angelfire.com	Same policies as Lycos.com	Same policies as Lycos.com	Same policies as Lycos.com	Same policies as Lycos.com	Same policies as Lycos.com
13	Amazon.com	E-mail address, name, mailing address, credit card number and expiration date; collect general info on which ZIP codes like which products/titles the best	Personal and billing information is used to bill you for and send you merchandise; to recommend products you might like based on previous purchases	Don't sell or trade any personal information now but they may in the future	None	Send e-mail to never@amazon.com if you never want personal information sent to third parties; can opt out of receiving e-mail by changing preferences on your account
14	Tripod.com	Part of Lycos.com; same policy	Same policies as Lycos.com	Same policies as Lycos.com	Same policies as Lycos.com	Same policies as Lycos.com
15	Blue mountainarts.com	Names and e-mail addresses of sender and receiver of cards; credit card information; contact and shipping information	E-mail addresses are used to send and receive e-cards; payment and shipping information is used for sending and receiving gifts	Billing and shipping information will be shared with their business partner, Lucidity; otherwise information is not sold, compiled to mailing lists, or used for any solicitation	None	Make sure that you check out the privacy policies of their charity and business partners before giving out personal information
16	eBay.com	Buying habits--what you buy, how much you spend, feedback from other users; personal contact information; amount collected varies depending on how much and in what way you use the site; any correspondence you send to them or sent to them by others is collected and saved	Information used to establish patterns, demographics, and interests of site users; cookies store passwords and help give the information about an item in which you're interested; use user information to solve user fights and make sure no one uses aliases	eBay doesn't promise that your personal information will stay private; third parties may illegally see it; they don't buy or sell personal information but share it with some eBay business partners and service providers; general user buying habits and trends are given to advertisers	TRUSTe, BBBonline Privacy	Accepting the user agreement says you're allowing them to give you specially targeted information, but you can opt out of receiving e-mail, postal mail, and phone calls about new offers; unless you specify otherwise, your ebay user ID is your e-mail address
17	Altavista Search Services (NOTE: This policy only applies to sites with a URL ending in av.com or AltaVista.com; other partners have separate policies.)	Name, e-mail address, ZIP code; IP addresses are tracked when you log in	Personal information is necessary for registration; IP addresses supply generic user trend information; cookies are used by AltaVista and their advertisers for ad placement and personalization of services	Personal information will be shared with sponsors and advertisers unless you tell them not to; advertisers have separate privacy policies for which AltaVista is not responsible	TRUSTe	AltaVista pledges never to use your personal information without your permission; you can change the information you have given them
18	Hotbot.com	Visitor's domain name; user trend information; referral data (which site users were at before Hotbot.com) and the type of browser and computer user has	All information collected is used for targeting advertising and product improvement; e-mail information is used to send newsletters	Information is shared with advertisers; unless you specify otherwise, your personal information will only be known to Wired Digital (producer of Hotbot content)	TRUSTe	User can opt out of receiving Wired's newsletters, sharing user trend information with advertisers, and having cookies placed on your hard drive; you can change your information status at any time
19	Snap.com Search & Services	Personal data and user trend information is collected	Personal data is used to make new users registered members; user trend information allows advertisers to tailor their content to users' interests	Nothing but user trend information will be given to third parties without your permission; Snap's service providers (shopping, message boards) also receive your information, be sure to check out their privacy policies	TRUSTe	You can choose not to receive electronic newsletters; you can correct or change your information but at this time you can't delete it completely from their database
20	Real.com	Name and e-mail address; credit card information; demographic and user trend information; information about user's computer and browser and from where the user linked to Real.com	Personal information is used to provide information on products and services; credit card information is used to allow users to order online; user trends help provide more personalized content	Financial information is shared only with the providers of the product ordered; no other information is shared with any other outside parties	TRUSTe	You can choose not to receive newsletters about products and services; you can contact them through their Web site with questions or concerns
21	About.com	IP address, and browser information, name, e-mail address, and other personally identifiable information required for registration on the site	Computer information tells them what site you visited last and what browser you are using; personal information is used to make you a registered user with personalized features	Only generic user trend information is shared with advertisers, no personal information; they aren't responsible for cookies advertisers may place	TRUSTe	Can choose not to receive any mailings; can also change or correct your information
22	Looksmart.com	Cookies identify computer; user trends; IP address; personal information required for registration	Solving technical problems; regulating the number of ads displayed; targeting ads; registering users and personalizing their site	None of your personal information will be shared with anyone without your permission but some service providers will need your information to deliver their product	TRUSTe	Can unsubscribe from mailing lists, but there is no way to correct or change your data and users can't delete their information from the database
23	Xoom.com (Powered by Snap.com)	Domain name but not e-mail address; user trend information--which pages users view	Customization and improvement of content; if you give your phone number, they may call about online orders you placed	None of this information is shared with other organizations	None	You can choose not to receive mailings from Xoom.com
24	Goto.com	Contact and demographic information; IP address; user trend information	Personal information is used to contact users about surveys, contests, and to send information; IP address is used to fix technical problems	Collective user trend information is shared with linked sites and other third parties; no personal information is shared without your permission	None	You can send an e-mail to the site if you wish not to receive any mailings
25	MSNBC.com	Name and e-mail address; cookies identify users' computer	Personalizes the Your Personal Front Web page; allows users to participate in contests and sweepstakes; also used to run the site and send mailings	Doesn't mention with whom information is shared	None	No mention is made of how to change or delete information; a contact is listed on the privacy page if users want to contact msnbc.com with questions or concerns
26	ZDNet.com	Name, postal address, e-mail address, and other personal information given at registration or when participating in sweepstakes, contests, or surveys; IP addresses; user trend information	Personalizing the site to individual users; sending e-mail notifications of new or improved products and services; alert users if they have won a contest or sweepstakes	Personal information will be shared with co-branding companies of ZDNet; advertisers will receive user trend information; ZDNEt is not responsible for the policies and actions of sites to which it links	TRUSTe	You can correct or change your personal information; you can also choose not to receive mailings
27	Infospace.com	Cookies randomly assign a user ID number to each computer; name address, hobbies, interests; you never have to give more information than you want	Keeping track of how many people log on each month and what they look at; personal information users volunteer personalizes the content	Infospace.com won't give your personal information to any outside parties; Advertisers will receive user trend information; be sure to check the policies of other service providers, such as the e-mail service iName	TRUSTe	You have many options for changing your personal information
28	CNET.com	Information users give by choice for sweepstakes and registration (username, password, e-mail address, age, gender, income, Internet connection, ZIP code, country, and employment); collective user trend information	All this information allows users to enter the site without logging on each time, view personalized content, and have access to the polling area	Only give personal information to third parties if you have entered a sweepstakes or contest and given your approval; advertisers will have user trend information	TRUSTe	Can opt not to give certain personal information when joining contests; can unsubscribe from mailings; can't completely delete your information from their database; can correct, change, and deactivate
29	ICQ.com	The amount of information given will vary, depending on how easily users want to be found by friends and family; generally give at least name, e-mail address, phone number and postal address; hobbies interests; user name and ID number	One of the main goals of ICQ is to connect users in real-time so you will be informed when a friend or family member logs on; ICQ uses the server you are registered on and your personal information to find you and inform others when you have logged on	States that information users give may be intercepted by third parties; info you give anywhere on the site may be available to the public	None	When registering, users can choose to require personal authorization before anyone has access to personal information; can update or completely delete your account information
30	Weather.com	Name, e-mail address, ZIP code, gender, interests all collected if you register, do a survey or enter a contest, send an e-mail to them, or order something from their store; tracks user trends	To provide services, personalize content, and tailor advertisements and information; also uses the given information to process and maintain user accounts	No personal information will be shared with third parties without the user's consent; advertisers are given compiled user trend data	TRUSTe	Weather.com provides an e-mail link on their privacy page that you can use to opt out of receiving any mailings and to change your status
31	Pathfinder.com	No personal information is collected except for what is knowingly given by the user	When user knowingly gives information, it's used by the site to target and personalize content and to market products	No information is given to outside parties unless user is specifically warned and given the option to opt out beforehand	None	Users can choose not to have their information used for promotional purposes
32	Barnes andnoble.com	User trend information; types of products bought; user feedback; name, billing address, shipping address, e-mail address, phone number, credit card number; product categories of interest, titles bought	The information given lets users buy products, personalize their accounts, enter contests and sweepstakes, participate in Author Chat, and receive mailings with new product information	Third-party financial institutions so they can verify credit card numbers; sweepstakes and contest info given to providers of those services; advertisers receive some information	None	You can choose not to receive any mailings; Click Rewards entrants must state if they don't want to share their information with outside parties; you can change or unsubscribe from a mailing list at any time
33	CNET Software Download Services	Same policy as CNET.com	Same policy as CNET.com	Same policy as CNET.com	Same policy as CNET.com	Same policy as CNET.com
34	Earthlink.net	Name, address; financial information, ZIP code, age, income level, IP address; collective demographic data and user trend information	To bill for services and products; send information; personalize content; solve problems with server	Collective demographic and user trend information is given to advertisers; no personal information is shared with anyone	None	You can opt out of receiving mailings or any communications from Earthlink and its partners; can also change your information by sending an e-mail
35	Askjeeves.com	Number of questions asked each day, name, address, ZIP code, age, domain name, referral data, browser type, operating system, and user trend and demographic information	Used to provide more personalized content, products, and services; allows users to participate in contests and sweepstakes also used to target advertisements	No personal information is given to third parties without user consent; user trend and demographic information is given to advertisers; co-sponsors of sweepstakes/contests will receive necessary entrant information	None	Users can opt out of receiving mail notices of new products and services; can also update or change their account information or delete account information entirely
36	iVillage.com	Name, e-mail address, ZIP code, gender, age, member name, and password; personal preferences; collective demographic information and user trends	Giving your personal contact information lets you become a registered user; allows iVillage to offer services and products based on preferences	Won't share name, address, e-mail address and member name with any third parties; outside service providers have access to database; collective demographic information is given to third parties	None	iVillage reserves the right to end any user's membership at any time, but nothing is said about allowing users to change or delete their information
37	Sports line USA	ID and password; name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number, ZIP code, city, state and IP address, user trend and credit card information	To provide tailored content, send contest and new product mailings, fix problems with server, register user as a member, send users products and bill for them	Collective user trend information will be shared with advertisers; some personal information will be given to promoters and partners	None	You can opt out of receiving mailings, and you can delete your information by e-mailing or calling Sportsline.com; can also change data
38	Macro media.com	Personal information and preferences; name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address	To receive content tailored to user's personal preferences and to become a registered member	Shares mailing address or phone number with partners so they can send you information; if you give them an e-mail address, your mailing address won't be used; Macromedia will send you information	TRUSTe	You can change or update your personal information at any time; have the option of choosing not to receive any mailings
39	MARZ.com	How many visitors and how often they visit the site, name, IP address, billing address, type of computer you're using, credit card numbers, user trend information	This information is used to improve and personalize the site; also to allow users to sign up for services or order products	Collective user trend information is given to business partners; no personal information is shared with any outside parties	None	No mention is made of how to change or delete information; doesn't address the issue of opting out of receiving communications from MARZ or their partners
40	Smartbotpro.net	No listed privacy policy	No listed privacy policy	No listed privacy policy	No listed privacy policy	No listed privacy policy
41	CNN.com	Personal information never collected unless user knows about it; name, e-mail address, mailing address, user trend information	This information is used for contests, sweepstakes, registration, suggestions, voting and polling, and business transactions	Third parties and advertisers will receive collective user trend data; personal data is not sold or given to others without the permission of the user	None	You can opt out of mailings, update or change your information, and cnn.com will try its best to delete your information completely at your request
42	Directhit.com	Anonymous information about searches; age, gender, location, name, address, and e-mail address	To make search results more relevant; to personalize searches; to inform of contests, sweepstakes, and functions	Directhit.com doesn't sell or give personal information to anyone; it does give collective user trend information to third parties	None	Privacy policy doesn't mention opting out or changing status of your account; gives e-mail address you can use to contact them
43	Digitalcity.com	How many users view what portions of the site; name, billing address, type of computer, credit card number	To improve the site; personalize content; to provide a service or product; to send out information	Doesn't give any personal information to outside companies; Web site partners receive collective user trend data	None	You can opt out of receiving mailings; no mention of whether you can change or delete your information
44	Expedia	User will always be asked when there is a need to give personal information such as name, e-mail address, and ZIP code; anonymous user trend information is collected	Used for registration; participation in contests and sweepstakes, delivering services, and to send out mailings	No personal information is sold, but it is shared with business partners who help provide a service on Expedia	TRUSTe	You can opt out of receiving any communications from Expedia or their partners; can also change information by contacting the service link provided
45	ATT.net	Name, address, phone number, credit card number, user trend information	Uses this information to provide phone service and other products and services; to target and personalize services and to market products to the user	AT & T won't sell, trade, or give any personal information to third parties without the permission of the customer; generic, collective information will be given to advertisers	BBBOnLine Privacy	You have a chance to take your name off of any directories AT & T or its partners have created; can also choose not to receive any mailings, e-mails, or phone calls
46	Broadcast.com Inc.	Name, e-mail address, record of correspondence you keep with them, IP addresses	This information lets you participate in sweepstakes and contests, receive e-mail newsletters, register as a member, get personalized products and services, and buy products; also lets Broadcast.com estimate audience size and target advertisements	Registration (personal) information is given to business partners who provide services; no other third parties receive your personal information; user trend information is shared with advertisers	None	Can choose not to receive mailings; can opt not to have information sent to other business partners or service partners
47	Windows media.com	Same policy as MSN	Same policy as MSN	Same policy as MSN	Same policy as MSN	Same policy as MSN
48	Mypoints.com	Name, mailing and e-mail address, demographic information, household size, gender, age, interests and preferences, IP address, browser type, operating system, and what site you visited before Mypoints.com	This information lets the user participate in sweepstakes and contests and become an enrolled member; it personalizes the content according to user preferences	User information won't be shared with anyone without the user's permission; advertisers will receive collective user trend and demographic information	TRUSTe	You can update or change your account information at any time; you can also choose not to receive any mailings or newsletters; You can cancel your membership status at any time
49	Go2net.com	General site usage information from all users; personal interests, demographic information, name, and e-mail and mailing address	To track user patterns, so users can become registered members, and to provide personalized products and services	Site usage information is given to the public at the discretion of Go2Net.com; no personal information will be given without the user's consent	None	You can choose to never be contacted by Go2Net.com or any of its partners; makes no mention of changing or deleting account information
50	Warner Bros Online	No personal information is automatically collected however, browser, operating system, Internet service provider, and domain name information	This information is used to personalize and improve the site's services; it also allows users to participate in contests or receive newsletters and other communications	Personally identifiable information will not be given to anyone else, but general information in a collective form will be given to advertisers	None	You can choose not to receive communications from the company, but there is nothing said about changing or deleting personal account information