By: Lilian Lam E-mail: artermis@hotmail.com One of the most important advances in the rapidly developing world of electronic commerce is the ability of companies to develop personalized relationships with their customers. Personalization empowers companies to better understand their customers' wants and desires and improve customer service by tailoring offerings to the unique needs of individuals . At the same time, this has become a subject of hot controversy because the technology involves the extensive collection and use of personal data. Many, if not most, online shoppers and surfers are not aware of the extent of how muc