Whom do you trust? A new survey reveals that online users overwhelmingly support government intervention to set standards for how companies may use personal information gathered through the Internet and WWW. According to the survey, conduced by San Francisco-based Odyssey, 47% of online household heads strongly agree that the government should regulate the use of personal information gathered online, and another 35% agree at least somewhat with the concept. Furthermore, 59% strongly distrust companies' ability or intention to keep personal information confidential, regardless of the policies the companies have in place.

    Odyssey's research has found that concerns about privacy and security on the Internet and World Wide Web are pervasive among online users. Fifty-eight percent of online consumers strongly express fear about their personal information being stored on computers all over the country. Similarly, 41% strongly feel that those who believe websites are secure are just kidding themselves.

    Odyssey's earlier study this year revealed that, despite overwhelming satisfaction with the online shopping experience, 55% of online purchasers continue to harbor serious concerns about giving their credit card number out online.

The Federal Trade Commission is currently discussing the online gathering of personal information. For more information visit www.ftc.gov.