Well, consumer is a no-no word for Cluetrain affectionados. But I would say it is a step towards redressing the imbalance in favour of the individual, thanks to the ability to compare information immediately and to the networks such as blogs and websites to spread the news. Ed Foster has the case of Hilton Hotels atrocious "No Privacy" policy.

A few days ago, a reader was trying to book a room for the 4th of July at an Embassy Suites, one of many hotel chains owned by Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC). "When I was about to reserve through their site, which was running a deal better than Travelocity offered, I decided to glance at the privacy clause," wrote the reader. "I found it to be quite interesting. Go to www.hilton.com and click on 'Privacy & Security' and then read section IV. See if I'm interpreting it correctly. The way I read it, all information that you submit as part of a transaction, like booking a room, is now theirs. They reserve the right to do whatever they want with the info, including publish it. That info would include my name, address, credit card number, etc. I booked with Sheraton instead."

Marvellous. And now ladies and gentlemen for the update on the story:

Hilton has now posted a new, and far more reasonable, privacy policy on its various websites.

All is not well, though, for Dan Gillmore who also mentions the story:

Hilton's hotels are still off my list until there's a complete revision, but Ed and his readers deserve credit for what's been done so far.

Absolutely. Don't you just love blogs - they give voice to those who don't mind raising it.

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