Is invisible web surfing an illusion?

Could there soon be a data black hole threatening the internet economy? A recent survey of internet users in 11 countries found 68 per cent respondents would select "do not track" features when browsing the web if they were more easily available. It suggests we're finally thinking about safeguarding our personal data online.

But staying invisible on the internet does have a downside; you might not miss targeted advertising per se, but no longer would shopping websites be able to recommend products, or recall something you searched for previously.

For most of us, that's no loss, with targeted advertising often an unwanted hindrance - an example being those ads promoting wedding venues the moment a Facebook status is changed to "engaged".

Not surprisingly, it's the likes of Facebook and Google that are at the vanguard of targeted advertising, and it's their restrictive and ever-changing data policies that are much to blame for this thirst for privacy.

The Consumer Insights Survey, by global analyst firm Ovum, also found that just 14 per cent of respondents believe internet companies are honest about their use of personal data.

Cyber attacks haven't helped breed confidence. Playstation Network, Evernote, Facebook and Twitter have all exposed how easily hackers can get their hands on users' personal data.

As cookies - the software that follows you around the internet and lets websites know where you've come from and where you went next - get blocked by security software, the digital industry will have to change.