> they wont just lose that customer - they'll lose thousands of others too
No, they won't. And that's the problem in your argument. Google landed in court for tracking users in incognito mode. They also were fined for not complying with the rules for cookie popups. Facebook lost in court for illegally using data for advertising. Did it lose them any paying customer? Maybe, but not nearly enough for them to even notice a difference. The larger outcome was that people are now more pissed at the EU for cookie popups that make the greed for data more transparent. Also in the case of Google most money comes from different people than the ones that have their privacy violated, so the incentives are not working as you suggest.
> Going through life not trusting any company isn't a fun way to live
Ignoring existing problems isn't a recipe for a happy life either.
Landing in court is an expensive thing that companies don't want to happen.
Your examples also differ from what I'm talking about. Advertising supported business models have a different relationship with end users.
People getting something for free are less likely to switch providers over a privacy concern compared with companies is paying thousands of dollars a month (or more) for a paid service under the understanding that it won't train on their data.
>Landing in court is an expensive thing that companies don't want to happen.
"If the penalty is a fine, it's legal for the rich". These businesses also don't want to pay taxes or even workers, but in the end they will take the path of least resistence. if they determine fighting in court for 10 years is more profitable than following regulations, then they'll do it.
Until we start jailing CEO's (a priceless action), this will continue.
>companies is paying thousands of dollars a month (or more) for a paid service under the understanding that it won't train on their data.
Sure, but are we talking about people or companies here?
CEO says the action was against policy and they didn't know, so the blame passes down until you get to a scapegoat that can't defend themselves.
The underlying problem is that we have companies with more power than sovereign states, before you even include the power over the state the companies have.
At some point in the next few decades of continued transfer of wealth from workers to owners more and more workers will snap and bypass the courts. The is what happened with the original fall of feudalism and warlords. This wasn't guaranteed though -- if the company owners keep themselves and their allies rich enough they will be untouchable, same as drug lords.
> Until we start jailing CEO's (a priceless action)
In the context of the original thread here: If all you need to do is go to jail then whatever that's for was "for free"!