Intriguing experiments by Alessandro Acquisti, a behavioral economist, suggest that people often reveal more than they mean to online.
¶SAY you’ve come across a discount online retailer promising a steal on hand-stitched espadrilles for spring. You start setting up an account by offering your e-mail address — but before you can finish, there’s a ping on your phone. A text message. You read it and respond, then return to the Web site, enter your birth date, click “F” for female, agree to the company’s terms of service and carry on browsing.
Jason Lee
Shoppers at a mall were offered $10 discount card — and an extra $2 discount if they agreed to share their shopping data. Half declined the extra offer.
¶But wait: What did you just agree to? Did you mean to reveal information as vital as your date of birth and e-mail address? Rest of NY Times article at link below.