Some advertisers offer certain consumers home computers free of charge  Advertisements play continuously on the computers' screens whenever they are in use  As consumers use the computers to browse the Internet, information about their browsing patterns is sent to the advertisers, enabling them to transmit to each consumer advertising that accurately reflects his or her individual interests
The advertisers can afford to offer the computers for free because of the increased sales that result from this precise targeting of individual consumers
At least some consumers who use a computer offered free of charge by advertisers for browsing the Internet spend more money on purchases from those advertisers than they would if they did not use such a computer to browse the Internet.