I think we have to separate the ability to control our own information, demand privacy if we want it, and things like the right to be forgotten, which I find far more objectionable than gdpr. I should be able to tell companies they can't use my info and activities any way they want. We have large companies that are effectively general utilities that a modern educated person almost needs to use (email, linked in, to a lesser degree facebook) to be successful, and I even pay google for my email and domain but they still have complex privacy tracking descriptions that always looks like they can basically do anything inside their system with my activities that they track. I don't care that it makes their life harder, they are making plenty of money. I'm actually paying them and I can't really compel them to change their behavior.
I think we all want that, or some form of it. But how do we get there?
> We have large companies that are effectively general utilities that a modern educated person almost needs to use (email, linked in, to a lesser degree facebook) to be successful
I personally don't feel like we're there yet.
> I can't really compel them to change their behavior.
You and I have reached the same epiphany. Let's work around them. Let's even fight it with legislation if we must, but let's make positive strides in that direction, not negative ones. We should foster an open environment for others to build these workarounds, not scare them inadvertently while trying to solve the original problem.
