How WhenUShop helps online shoppers learn about
the privacy and security policies of web retailers:

Online privacy and security has become an important issue for many web users, and it's all the more important when you're shopping online. Most online purchases require you to disclose very personal information, including your address, phone number and credit card number.

Most shopping sites take steps to protect you from theft of your credit card info while making a purchase. Security policies typically include the use of SSL (secure sockets layer), an advanced security technology that protects your info while it zips through the Internet.

However, sites vary widely in how much they safeguard other information. Personal information—such as age and gender, household income, interests and hobbies, past online purchasing history, geographic location, and other demographic data—is an important currency in the Internet world. The more info a site can gather about you, the more targeted they can make the advertising you see, and the more they can charge for it.

Reputable sites have a privacy policy posted on their site detailing how they will handle your information. WhenUShop searches out this policy and summarizes it for you according to some basic elements:

1. In some cases, the site claims your personal info will not be used or shared with other companies in any way.

2. The preponderance of sites will share your info as long as you have given them permission. This permission is most often in the form of a single check box, usually at the end of the site's registration process, that says something like "Please send me additional special offers."

3. Still other sites don't share any personal information, but aggregate demographic data across all users to show general trends.

4. A few sites state they will share your info with others, but do not give you the chance to say "no thanks."

If there is no policy posted on the site, this will be noted by WhenUShop.

By summarizing this information, WhenUShop allows online shoppers to make informed decisions about where they will make purchases. Even the best deal or coupon may not be worth risking your privacy at a site whose policy doesn't measure up to your expectations.