They're not good people, but if it weren't this set of people, another would take their place. The world is rife with opportunity for people of low morals.
It is society's fault that we have not explicitly codified what will not be allowed and constructed the right laws and enforcement to ensure that violators are ruinously punished.
Telling some poor person that they have to pay $10 per month to use Google or send Facebook messages isn’t democracy. Don’t want surveillance? Don’t use the products the employ it, but some people, especially those that don’t have means, might be perfectly fine to trade privacy for a “free” service. Destroying the ad industry is elitism and tone deaf — ads are imperfect, but they have enabled people to do things that would have been impossible or unaffordable 20 years ago.
This pitchforks and guillotines talk is ridiculous. Build something better if you don’t like the way things are.
That’s as simple as saying “don’t like crime? Don’t be near criminals.”
Data’s being stolen and we’re being watched whether we like it or not. Only sometimes can we easily opt out and have those decisions respected.
> How can be reverse course and throw a wrench in the system?
We start by taking the guillotines down to Sand Hill Road.