tedster - 2:29 am on Oct 24, 2007 (gmt 0)

That someone basically wants to analyse, predict and use the planets population behavioural data to sell ads is a pretty new scale I would say.

Database "overlays" for exactly this purpose have been around for a couple decades at least in the direct mail and catalog industries in the US - and the results can be spookily pinpointed. So Google's goal here is not new, although both the scale and fine detail of information are expanded.

Interesting note: according to Bloomberg, "The European Union's review of Google Inc.'s $3.1 billion bid for DoubleClick Inc. will focus on the competition aspects of the deal, not privacy issues..." (Full Article [bloomberg.com])