Released on: May 23, 2008, 3:49 pm

Press Release Author: ProQuo

Industry: Environment

Press Release Summary: According to a new study conducted by Harris Interactive®,
consumers are unaware of 12 everyday activities, including entering a sweepstakes,
having a baby, getting married or filling out a warranty card, that can compromise
the security of personal information. This can lead to increased profiling without
consent and greater exposure to identity theft, along with increased paper junk mail
volume - an unnecessary drain on the environment.

Press Release Body: LA JOLLA, Calif., May 23, 2008 - According to a new study
conducted by Harris Interactive®, consumers are unaware of 12 everyday activities,
including entering a sweepstakes, having a baby, getting married or filling out a
warranty card, that can compromise the security of personal information. This can
lead to increased profiling without consent and greater exposure to identity theft,
along with increased paper junk mail volume - an unnecessary drain on the
environment.

Take a free privacy quiz and compare your risk level against the national average:
http://proquo.com/privacyquiz

According to Steven Gal, CEO of ProQuo, a leading authority on privacy issues, one
of the early indicators that a consumer's personal information may be widely
available in the data trade industry is the amount of junk mail they receive. The
average person receives approximately 40 pounds of paper junk mail per year, with
obvious consequences to the environment. Through ProQuo.com, consumers can
pro-actively remove themselves from major data broker marketing and mailing lists,
while also indicating what type of offers, if any, they do want to receive. The
service is free.

Hear more from Steven Gal in an interview on the BNET Business Network:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5D0HN7mwEw

Results from the study show that 73 percent of adults entered a sweepstakes in the
past six months, but less than half (48 percent) were aware that doing so can put
their personal information at risk. Sixty-nine percent of respondents were unaware
that donating to a political campaign could compromise control over personal
information.

Other seemingly harmless but potentially risky behaviors include applying for a home
mortgage, signing up for a supermarket discount card, applying for a credit card in
a retail store or enrolling in a rewards program such as frequent flyer or hotel
points programs. Gal said consumers' personal data is bought and sold many times
over as part of a little-known $10 billion per year data trade industry. "While we
don't expect consumers to change their day-to-day behavior, we do want them to be
aware of how these activities can put their privacy at risk."

Survey Methodology The Privacy and Personal Information survey was commissioned by
ProQuo, Inc. and conducted online by Harris Interactive between March 13 and March
17, 2008. A full methodology is available.


Web Site: http://www.proquo.com

Contact Details: Chad Darwin
PainePR
213-996-3776
cdarwin@painepr.com