The issue of prior consent is critical to the public perception of extranet security. Extranet users want to know what kind of information about them is being gathered and how that information will be used. Often extranet users are quite comfortable about sharing information provided that they have been given a chance to give or withhold prior consent.

In fact, groups like Truste are recommending that merchants post their information gathering and sharing practices to their web sites so that extranet users can decide ahead of time whether or not they wish to participate given the stated information practices and ethics of that web site. Compliant web sites are often marked with the "Truste" symbol. The posting of information ethics practices to web sites and abiding by such ethical practices can go a long way toward increasing extranet user trust and reducing or eliminating negative perceptions of extranet security.

Often consumers are happy to fill out registration forms for contests giving all sorts of marketing information about themselves in order to have a chance to win free stuff. This is especially true if consumers are told up front how the information on them will be used and whether or not it will be sold or passed on to others.

P3P is a standard supported by MIT's World Wide Web Consortium. It requires up front disclosure of the business practices and recognizes consumer choices in the how the information gathered on them is used by merchants.