The path of progress often involves regulation after consequences, unanticipated or otherwise, make it clear that it's necessary.

I am quite uncomfortable with this, personally, because I'd prefer it if people were allowed to choose for themselves. But in some cases, cigarettes being a good example, regulation does seem to be worth the trade-off, and it most definitely seems to be effective.

This particular issue I find complicated enough that I don't have a strong opinion on the way forward. But I strongly disagree with your claim that 1) regulating things doesn't change things, and 2) calls for regulation are misguided. The broader privacy issues are real, very serious, and have been neglected as a 'mainstream' discussion for way too long.