Two Consumer groups think that online profiling by advertisers has gone too far. With the combination of consumers surfing habits being tracked, combining that data with sophisticated profiling engines results in a very robust picture of consumer tastes and spending habits.

These consumer groups have asked the FTC to open a probe to Online Ad Profiling. In my opinion this could get very ugly as consumers generally do not read terms of service or read sites privacy policies. If a probe does get underway this is what companies will fall back on. [Washington Post]