A method, apparatus and product for providing information via a public network, such as the Internet, is disclosed. A user is firstly identified, and profile data is acquired based on that person's usage history. Information, obtained via a public network, is provided to the user based on the profile. The user can either be identified specifically, or as a member of one or more demographic groups. In relation to the latter, attributes in the user profile may include the user's age group, education and occupation/profession. The user profile may optionally include a weighting for each topic of interest. If the user is identified specifically, advertising to be displayed on the Internet may be matched with the current user's profile so that the advertising provided might appeal directly to the user. If the user is identified as a member of a demographic, web sites that match the demographic can be served.