Most Americans are ready to put Big Brother on alert. They don't want to be tracked on the Internet and are unwilling to trade their privacy for Web ads that are tailored to their interests. So suggest the results of a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of Internet users conducted over the weekend.

Nine of 10 poll respondents say they pay little if any attention to the ads they see on websites. Still, 61% say they have noticed ads that "seemed to be directed specifically" at them and that are related to websites they've previously visited. Two-thirds don't believe Internet advertisers should be able to tailor pitches by collecting data that show where they've been prowling around in cyberspace.

What's more, 61% of those surveyed don't believe that the methods used in targeting ads are justified just to keep costs down so that people can visit websites for free.