Financial 411: The Internet and Your Privacy

Every time you surf the web, companies install tracking devices on your computer that collect all sorts of information about the way you search and shop. It's a fast-growing business, and you may not even know that you're being tracked.

All this week, The Wall Street Journal is running a series on privacy and the Internet. WSJ reporters found that more websites are using technology to track their visitors. They also discovered newer tracking technology that can pinpoint personal information about their visitors, including location and other identifying information, nearly instantly.

Julia Angwin, one of the series' lead reporters, joins WNYC's Amy Eddings to talk about those findings, and make some suggestions for safer surfing on the Internet.