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by sovnwnt 782 days ago
I actually had a chat with my local MP (Canadian equivalent of Member of House of Representatives) about this.

Why can't we stop companies selling our data? You'd think it's easy:

--- very clear opt-in method for having your data sold

--- rejecting cannot prevent regular use of services

--- heavy penalties for breaking these rules

Problem is that no politician wants to touch this because

--- manufacturers sell data to subsidize the product

--- if they can't sell data, costs are going to shoot up

--- if they do this in response to a law, they get to raise costs even more because it affects the whole industry at the same time and there's a clear scapegoat

Consumers care a LOT more about their cheap, connected devices than their privacy. Because getting by your data like [2] happens to individuals, but costs affect the group.

EDIT: To clarify, the MP only suggested that costs would go up and people don't care. The rest is my personal speculation.