June 27, 2001

WASHINGTON -- Interactive television might become more of a two-way medium than viewers want. A new report claims that the nascent service will give media companies unprecedented power to gather personal information. The report -- "TV That Watches You: The Prying Eyes of Interactive Television," by the Center for Digital Democracy and other privacy advocates -- documents a growing trend that's transforming the infrastructure of the television industry. Accompanying future programming will be a massive collection of TV viewer information, including age, vocation, discretionary income and parental status. Such information, along with psychographic and demographic data, will be collected and "harvested" into individual profiles, according to the CDD's examination of the cable and advertising industries' own information and analyses from product literature, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, conferences, Web sites and trade publications. "The cable industry is bringing back 'Outer Limits' -- only this time, it's for real," CDD executive director Jeff Chester said. "You really won't be in control of what's on your screen." While most television watchers have yet to see interactive television, media companies are pushing hard to bring it into the living room. The service could include Web access, video-on-demand, shopping and targeted advertising based on what's known about the viewer. (Brooks Boliek)