If culturally we can get to a point where the world denounces privacy breeches and technologically we advance tools to easily expose these breeches, can't we establish some privacy standards and keep them in check? We don't need perfection, we just need to make the cost of privacy breeches high enough and risky enough to create a meaningfull disincentive.
That world isn't any better in this one, because the data is still there. It's not a breach of privacy if Facebook or Google just knows everything you've done, and you've agreed to it.
I think, if given the choice between convenience and privacy, people will pick convenience, and this will never change. That's where we're at, and it's about time we start accepting that fact.
My partner won't look at ads on the internet for shoes they like because the ads will follow them a month at least.
That's learned behaviour, they aren't particularly tech literate.
When people learn how technology works, they work it to their advantage. People are learning their communications and movements are logged permanently. People will learn how to use technology is a way so that this will not happen.
Before this thinking was the realm of tin foil hatters - people are paying attention to it now, and are looking around - telegram/textsecure vs whatsapp. I suspect from your defenseless reaction you didn't see the snowden revelations coming.
Two years ago nobody would have given three moments notice to facebook acquiring whatsapp. People around me are reacting like so: "I need to stop using whatsapp immediately".
This guide is a good place to get started - social technology that doesn't have to leave you completely isolated. (If enough of your friends care about yours and their privacy).
http://freedombone.uk.to/
I deleted my Facebook account 3 years ago and up until a few months ago I was able to spin up anonymous google accounts when I needed them. Fortunately I have the skills to create Facebook and Google equivalents for both myself and my family.
We just need to get more options out there and fragment the industry to the point where data collection becomes difficult again. Plus we need to lower the hurdles to get alternatives up and running.
So let's remove the barriers, remove the sign offs and make it really easy for people to find alternatives.
