Abstract
At times, privacy issues are perceived as a part of security issues, therefore, let us differentiate them. Security refers to the integrity of the data storage, processing and transmitting system and includes concerns about the reliability of hardware and software, the protection against intrusion or infiltration by unauthorized users. Privacy, on the other hand, refers to controlling the dissemination and use of data, including information that is knowingly or unknowingly disclosed. Privacy could also be the by-product of the information technologies themselves (Cate, 1997). Over the past decade, numerous surveys conducted around the world have found consistently high levels of concern about privacy. Many studies (Dorney, 1997; Allard, 1998; Harris and Westin, 1999) found that more than 80% of Net users are concerned about threats to their privacy while online. The Federal Trade Commission discovered (Privacy online: A report to Congress/Federal Trade Commission, United States, Federal Trade Commission, 1998) that many Web sites collect personal information and release the same without the users’ knowledge and permission. There are methods (Adam et al., 1996; Verton, 2000; Wen, 2001; McGuire, 2000; Feghhi, 1999) that make cyber shopping secure, although consumers may still have concerns about security aspects of cyber shopping. How can one keep information about his/her Internet browsing habits to oneself? It’s a challenge in this era of technological advancements. In this chapter, we focus exclusively on privacy issues that arise in cyber shopping. In the recent past, many articles on privacy have appeared in journals. In this chapter, we review these publications on privacy.