Could Big Brother Affect Your Housefile?

The Federal Trade Commission wants to crack down on how online advertisers and marketers track people's online activities. (see today's NY Times article). We probably all agree that privacy policies are difficult to read, children should be protected, and most companies are given a pretty free reign on how they track customers. But, this could lead down an iffy road for organizations trying to market their messages or campaigns. Questions abound!

• If consumer groups want to crack down on the amount of information asked in an online form or how they monitor clickpaths, where does that stop?
• How much information can a group ask for? Salary ranges for major donors?  How about employer information for workplace giving? Can source code tracking be an issue?
• While protecting public interest and constituent privacy should be paramount for all organizations, could the FTC crack down and make it possible to grow deep, well-rounded housefiles?
• Can this set a dangerous precedent for online marketing and advertising, even for nonprofits?
• And, shouldn't trust be left up to the company or organization and the person filling out the form?