[VienneseCPA]

It's not literally. But the HN ethos is that users lack agency and are thus not responsible for their actions.

[spacemanmatt]

I don't agree with your characterization of the HN ethos. I would suggest the ethos is a little closer to users lack collectivization, and we're talking about how a service provider has taken advantage of that. It's a social question, not a legal one.

[jacquesm]

In the case of ancestry it is not just their users, but also the users extended family. One of my relatives found it necessary to put me in there and I've had a really hard time to get them to delete me.

[Lawtonfogle]

They are consenting adults, no? That they optimize for short term gain ignoring long term costs should be their own responsibility.