Washington Post: Web Firms Choose Profit Over Privacy. Marketers and an array of service providers are expanding their collection and use of consumers' e-mail addresses and other personal information, despite broad assurances to protect individual privacy and honor consumers' choices about how much marketing they want to receive.

Marketers also insist that they maintain the right to send messages to customers with which they have "existing business relationships." ... "Some companies, like psycho ex-boyfriends, tend to see relationships where they don't exist," said Chris Murray, legislative counsel for Consumers Union.

[via Tomalak's Realm]