Every week we come across several privacy issues related with several social networking sites. Wall Street Journal has recently revealed that Facebook and My Space along with other sites has been sending user's personal data to advertising companies; and of course, without anybody's consent.

Suppose you have viewed a random ad while browsing through Facebook, at that point, that particular advertising company receives information that could include your ID, occupation, location, age or maybe photographs; depending on the your privacy settings. Although, these sites have rewritten the code that enabled such a 'privacy invasion'.

Apart from Facebook and My space other sites like Hi5, Digg, Xanga, Live Journal and Twitter have also come into the scanner. However, Twitter doesn't have ad profiles, but when a user clicks on someone else's profile, personal info automatically passes on.

This what a Twitter spokesperson told Wall Street Journal:

"Passing along the Web address happens when people click a link from any Web page. This is just how the Internet and browsers work."

Not very long ago Google had accepted their "mistake" of unknowingly collecting 600 gigabyte of personal data through their street view feature. Before that Twitter had faced a major glitch, and so did Facebook. I ask again: For how long can we trust these big shot internet companies with our personal information?

Recently an IT firm called Sophos conducted a survey with 1588 Facebook users, out which 60% members are considering quitting popular social networking sites.

Is it possible? Are we ready to quit such networking sites that have become an integral part of our lives? If such serious glitches continue to pop up, sooner or later someone will have to find a full proof secured way for us to stay connected - virtually.