[tinkertamper]

I hear this argument a lot but I think it is exactly OPs point when he says, “The market can’t act against what it can’t see”.

Your average consumer doesn’t know the extent of what they’re trading. Take Facebook, even with high profile stories and documentaries it’s reasonable for your average consumer to assume that what Facebook tracks about them is what they actively give to Facebook themselves.

I’ve had conversations with people that say, “I rarely even post on Facebook” and “If they want to monitor pictures of my food/dog/etc whatever who cares”, without any solid understanding of what even having the app installed alone is giving Facebook.

[oblio]

It's ok, if they will be educated they will care. Just like they care now about not using single use plastics, buying the biggest and most gas guzzling SUV or flying on holidays across the globe.

They won't care even when they'll know. And they might not ever know.

[gpanders]

Yes exactly. I don't think an abstract understanding of the costs is enough. If the cost isn't physically or viscerally felt, it just doesn't factor into people's decision making.

This is where the pricing system really comes into great effect. People buy and drive fewer SUVs when gas is more expensive. If we want people to buy fewer SUVs, increase the fuel tax.

Education is not enough, and in fact might not even be necessary at all. Just introduce real costs to capture the "abstract" costs (externalities) and the problem will likely correct itself.