I don't think that's correct.  Google Toolbar has that option if you
enable it, but not GMail.  Here is a paste from Google about what they
do:

" We never share your personally identifying information with any
advertiser as part of this service, unless you specifically ask us to
do so. When you are logged into your Gmail account, Google will
display targeted ads and other relevant information based on the
content of the email displayed. In a completely automated process,
computers process the text in a message and match it to ads or related
information in Google's extensive database. No human reads your mail
to target ads or other information without your consent. "

The ads are unobtrusive listings on the right side of your e-mail. 
All free Internet services use ads to underwrite the costs and, if
things go right, generate profit; Google, like Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL,
etc., is no exception.  However, they do NOT monitor the sites you go
to.

John

On 5/10/05, Johanna Rubba <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I thought a condition of signing up for G-mail was that you allowed
> Google to monitor the sites you go to so that site sponsors could target
> their marketing towards your niche.
> 
> In other words, there are privacy issues. Anyone else familiar with this?
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Johanna Rubba   Associate Professor, Linguistics
> English Department, California Polytechnic State University
> One Grand Avenue  • San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
> Tel. (805)-756-2184  •  Fax: (805)-756-6374 • Dept. Phone.  756-2596
> • E-mail: [log in to unmask] •      Home page:
> http://www.cla.calpoly.edu/~jrubba
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