All web sites need to have privacy policies. If your web site is using analytics then you need to make sure that your privacy policy mentions that you are tracking certain surfing behavior with the goal of improving user experience (or something to that effect). Large enterprise analytics providers even stipulate in the contracts with their clients that they must update their privacy policies to make visitors aware that their visits are being tracked anonymously, and if the wish to opt out then they will need to install and opt out cookie.
Our privacy policy on VKI Studios is an example of a privacy policy that allows users to opt out of our Omniture tracking.
Visual Sciences/Web Side Story have information about their cookie opt out cookie here.
Omniture has information about their opt out cookie here.
I’m not recommending that users install the opt out cookies, but that web sites ensure that their privacy policies are updated to reflect the fact that they have analytics installed and that they need to allow users to opt out of being tracked. At the end of the day it should be in the users best interest to provide the companies they visit with analytic data with the hope that they are analyzing the data and making changes to improve user experience.
