I was part of a discussion earlier and a question was raised. Considering all the information companies are sharing with governments, could it be possible that media players that connect to the internet for data, are not only getting information, but are sending it out? For example if you allow WM11 to connect to the net to get track info, it could send a list of songs you have, which is then saved for later use, either for marketing purposes or more sinister invasions of privacy? Also, could that be used as a consensual conduit for companies to gather information on your habits, preferences and activities?
No. They'd have general information about your "household", not you.
hehe, i know it's funny and maybe convenient in a way. But i prefer to be old fashioned about shopping. But that is a small example, there is a group working on a behavioral prediction engine. It can currently predict with 80% accuracy how many cigarettes one of the subjects will smoke in a day. This is work done by a small unfunded group. Say they got a grant and really got serious with it, just by trolling through you browser history and watching how you respond to stimuli, it'll be able to predict the next 5 pages you will visit, by adding a pseudo-learning engine and a targeted censoring program, it could virtually give someone unimaginable power. It took me two weeks to write a small prediction engine for my btc-e and cryptsy trading bot, and my skills leave much to be desired. How about a motivation of 3 million for ten really good programmers, they'll be able to tell exactly what size and color your dildo should be, whether you like it ribbed or smooth and what extras to add to make it more attractive. 
