www.sharexxx.net - free books & magazines

Adverse Effects of E-Commerce 47
Companies can sell their customer information as a good or service much as if a
magazine publisher would sell its mailing lists.
Many believe that e-commerce technology is eroding personal privacy
because consumers have no control over their personal data that merchants have
collected during their shopping experience. In addition, personal record-keeping
systems of merchants are not regulated or restricted. People fear that if the trend
of collecting information continues, they may lose their individuality since they would
have no control over the information about them (Kling & Linowes, 1996).
CONCLUSIONS
E-commerce involves buying and selling on the Internet among businesses and
consumers. E-commerce has provided opportunity for better interactions with
partners, suppliers, and targeted customers for service and relationships. Ecommerce
provides the customers with choice, information, convenience, time, and
savings with improvements that add value to their shopping. However, loss of
privacy with e-commerce, security issues, increasingly sophisticated frauds, abuse
of personal information, and impact on prices have aroused as the main concerns.
Companies increasingly rely on the collection and use of information about
consumers for many purposes, including targeted advertising and marketing,
maximizing the convenience of electronic commerce, and personalizing customer
service and support. In many ways, the creation and maintenance of databases
containing information about consumers and their activities can provide a “win-win”
situation for both private companies and individuals. It enables companies to
operate more efficiently, lower costs, and streamline marketing and promotion
efforts while simultaneously giving consumers access to “customized” information
about products and services that correlates to their personal preferences. The
collection and use of personally identifiable information has, however, raised
significant concerns from lawmakers, regulators, and private litigants, especially
when it involves sensitive information such as financial or medical information and
information related to children.
The e-commerce revolution, affordability, technology and the skill to use has
been restricted to the world’s information haves. E-commerce infrastructure is still
not available in many countries and even if available in some countries, it is limited
to a few cities. Much of the world’s population is part of the information have-nots
— those who lack the technology and training of the technologically privileged. Ecommerce
promoters must also be challenged to try to bridge the gap between
these “have and have-nots” in order to form a singular society and not a society
separated by a digital divide.
Copyright © 2003, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written
permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited.