I'm actually surprised we don't have the free market crowd coming out in defense of this. "But the free market will provide ISP's that don't sell browser history and they will be what everyone chooses, even if they cost more, because people really value privacy and the free market provides what people want!" Isn't that how it's supposed to work my Libertarian friends?
Of course, that would rely on it being true that people *really* give a shit about their privacy when it comes down to putting their money where their mouths are rather than just virtue signalling every time it comes up. Frankly, as far as I'm concerned, the rise and popularity of Google and its business model has shown pretty clearly that people largely don't give a rat's ass about their online privacy as long as there is a free and tasty carrot dangled on the stick at the other end of their privacy being sold to the highest bidder. When it comes down to dollars and cents and actually putting in some effort/facing some inconvenience to protect one's online privacy people have largely shown they will take the more convenient, cheaper, less private option en masse. Those same people will suddenly become deathly concerned about privacy as soon as there is a headline about some bill being passed or backdoor discovered or blah blah blah - but their concern fades away in the face of a shiny new gadget or service.
I fully expect a mound of equivocations of "Oh, it's different! In this case I don't have a choice!" Again, if this is THAT important to people, won't there be ISP's using this as a selling feature since you all consider it so valuable? I mean, ISP's would be crazy not to market themselves as "the choice that respects your privacy - we don't sell browser history!" I mean, unless all of this histrionic pronouncements of disapproval I'm seeing right now is just a big show and when people actually have to pay a little more to keep their browser history hidden their values stop just shy of their wallets...
Just to be clear, I'd vastly prefer this wasn't happening. The reality is though most of the people who talk big on subjects like this have *long* shown they don't give a shit about their privacy if they are coaxed just a bit by a tasty carrot dangled in front of them. Our presented values in this area don't match how many of us actually act when it comes to preserving our privacy so I have trouble taking many of you seriously as you rail.
