[Philip Lelyveld comment; as the web continues to evolve, websites are becoming statistically less willing to share data that profits others but not themselves. On top of this there is a nascent movement to give consumers more control over who gets what portions of their personal data, and what they - the consumer - gets in return.]
The amount of data collection on the most popular websites is falling slightly after a period of explosive growth, according to an annual study, suggesting that publishers might be trying to prevent tracking technologies from accessing valuable data on their websites.
The average visit to one of the 50 most popular sites in the U.S. resulted in 42 instances of data collection in March, down from 50 instances about a year earlier, according to a new study by Krux Digital Inc., a company that helps monitor tracking technologies. When Krux conducted its first study in November 2010, data was collected only 10 times on the average page.
The latest reversal could reflect a move by website publishers to take control of data about their own users, rather than allowing many third-party companies to gather information while providing ads on other services.
Read the full article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323826804578466822659979326.html