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Re:Facebook Ordered to Stop Collecting Data on WhatsApp User... by DannyBee on Tuesday September 27, 2016 @11:05AM (#12590120)
"It can in some cases and in some cases they should be turned into infrastructure. We've done the same with power plants and highways. "

This is precisely because there are no real alternatives. In fact, when and if solar + batteries becomes an actual viable solution to powering you + your neighbors, ...

As for rights, yes, you do have the right, and in fact, personally, while i'm not in favor of trying to turn internet companies into regulated utilities, i am pretty much in favor of killing the LLC and going back to "officers and shareholders are liable" model that used to exist.

Re:Facebook Ordered to Stop Collecting Data on WhatsApp User... by e12e on Tuesday September 27, 2016 @04:34PM (#12592914)
I think we need to start looking at the meta-data generated by communication networks (who talks/chats/tweets/etc whom, and when) as a commons, that needs to be regulated. Beyond the European privacy laws designed to protect privacy, I think there should probably be limits on who is allowed to do what, and how one is allowed to store and profit from the knowledge. It should be a regulated privilege to be able to handle this information, in a similar way that it's a privilege to run passenger trains, or even postal and phone services.