by Thomas E. Weber

About the author: Thomas E. Weber is a staff reporter at the Wall Street Journal.

Anyone who has ventured onto the World Wide Web knows the nightmare scenario.

It’s an Orwellian world of privacy invasion and subliminal behavior control. It’s a world in which computers log your every move on the Internet, distilling your behavior into individual dossiers that diabolical marketers then use to tailor their pitches to you, the unwitting consumer.

Is the Nightmare Scenario Likely"

So, should you be scared"

It’s too soon to tell whether the nightmare scenario will become a reality— online marketers are only now beginning to put controversial tracking tools to work. And few would argue vigilance isn’t needed. But there are reasons to...