Is the use of technologies, such as "cookies", strategic to marketing goods and services online? What is the impact, if any, on consumer privacy?

A few years ago, the combination of technology and marketing was not a common term. Even a very successful marketing model that was followed by software giant Microsoft, was neglected in many top ranking business schools. According to them what Microsoft was doing was a fad. But time has proved that they were wrong. Marketing guru Kotler has agreed that traditional marketing is not working any more. The economic power has shifted from marketers to customers. This shift happens in the market place due to the technology. Today customers have the access to information that lets them make much more informed decisions. Customers are increasingly telling companies what type of product or services they want and when, where and how they want to buy them. Before purchase a product or service, they compare each of the competitors' product and their pricing, availability and value for money. So customers are now in control. Customer's action and their demands are profoundly impacting every industry in the market. The use of technologies such as cookies is paramount to the implementation of such marketing practices, which ultimately benefit both the retailer and the consumer. Without these, retailers would not be able to fine-tune their marketing strategies and focus, and consumers would not be able to provide, through their actions online, valuable feedback to retailers. These technologies help to run the whole marketing process faster and smoother across the organization, market and customer, effectively and efficiently. So it is the era of combination of technology and marketing and with the help of each other both retailer and consumer will thrive in future.

What is the impact, if any, on consumer privacy?