Fundamentally there are only two ways in which the activities of a large number of people can be co-ordinated: by central direction, which is the technique of the army and of the totalitarian state and involves some people telling other people what to do; or by voluntary co-operation, whch is the technique of the market place and of arrangements involving voluntary exchange. The possibility of voluntary co-operation in its turn rests fundamentally on the proposition that both parties to an exchange can benefit from it. If it is voluntary and reasonably well informed, the exchange will not take place unless both parties do benefit from it.[1]
You will see a similar disclaimer in any bit of free-market libertarian thought, because you can't have voluntary exchange without informed consent.
If transactions without informed consent are taking place, it is easy to argue that someone's property rights are being violated. Any libertarian since John Locke will tell you that protecting your rights is the first and foremost job of government[2].
Fundamentally there are only two ways in which the activities of a large number of people can be co-ordinated: by central direction, which is the technique of the army and of the totalitarian state and involves some people telling other people what to do; or by voluntary co-operation, whch is the technique of the market place and of arrangements involving voluntary exchange. The possibility of voluntary co-operation in its turn rests fundamentally on the proposition that both parties to an exchange can benefit from it. If it is voluntary and reasonably well informed, the exchange will not take place unless both parties do benefit from it.[1]
You will see a similar disclaimer in any bit of free-market libertarian thought, because you can't have voluntary exchange without informed consent.
If transactions without informed consent are taking place, it is easy to argue that someone's property rights are being violated. Any libertarian since John Locke will tell you that protecting your rights is the first and foremost job of government[2].
[1] https://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/friedman-on-capitalism-and... [2] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke-political/