[simonh]

Because non-capitalist countries have a much better record of protecting and respecting personal privacy. Really?

The answers to this are twofold: Better national information security support* and regulation; Consumer action to chose vendors that demonstrate that they value personal privacy and prioritise information security.

* Which includes not deliberately, as a matter of policy, undermining security technologies and standards.

[kuschku]

The best track record of protecting have Social Market countries. Social Capitalism, also called "Social Democracy", "Nordic Model", "Democratic Socialism", etc is generally the best model.

In a pure capitalist model it is okay if Facebook shares all your data with advertisers – if you don’t like Facebook, just vote with your money and go to Google+.

[simonh]

Sure but no country on earth, not even the USA, has anything close to a pure capitalist system in that sense. Furthermore Nordic Model countries vary, but are very much capitalist. From wikipedia:

"Sweden's industry is overwhelmingly in private control; unlike some other industrialized Western countries, such as Austria, Italy or Finland, state owned enterprises were always of minor importance."

In fact I think I can make a strong argument that capitalism relies on property rights and therefore the rule of law, which tends to support individual rights in general including privacy.

[kuschku]

Yes. Every country is in some way "social", but social market economies focus strongly on keeping a balance.

Especially in the US the balance has been skewed since forever towards capitalism.

Historically, Social Market Economies evolved in countries where the population was supportive of socialist and communist uprisings, but the ruling class tried to keep the economy, and implemented the same benefits as in a socialist system in the existing market economy (See Bismarck’s Social Welfare model in Germany and the history of Bismarck vs. the Social Democrats on this).

[simonh]

What I'm arguing against us the implication that such 'social market' economies are in any way not capitalist or less capitalist than others. Its a false premse. Nordic model national economies can be very capitalism friendly or very statist.