[landemva]

Depending on what premium you are willing to pay, there might be a sustainable business. But privacy and cheap probably won't be a sustainable business.

If you think you can force it by law, then choose a good jurisdiction for that strong-arming.

[vacuity]

To create a new business that aims for respecting user privacy, it is indeed a daunting task. However, it is just as well if the likes of Google are made to respect privacy; they won't be worse off in the long run anyways. There could be evaluations after a year or two to see how much really changes. There should be strict measures that enforce privacy-conscious business models and prevent companies from unreasonably retaliating.

On a more general note, it's ridiculous that the status quo is so entrenched to the point where discussions about privacy often feature doomerism and cynicism ad nauseum, as this thread shows. For all the hubbub (in the US, at least) about human rights, about justice, about democracy (however misguided some of these pleas may be), there is a sickening lack of attention when it comes to privacy. When you realize you live in a backwards (literally? figuratively?) world, do you point it out? Will the others merely laugh at you? Is your vision of something different just a worthless hope? I, for one, fervently wish that more people become antagonistic to the idea that privacy is meaningless or not worth fighting for.