Now, I really dislike what I just read.
I wonder if tech companies have a moral obligation to disclose to the user what are the terms of the contracts.
While ToS and Privacy Policy are public documents, I don't think they are close to anything readable for the layman. They are mostly pile of legal garbage and it is virtually impossible to go through them everytime you sign-up for a service.
That is why I would like to put the emphasis on clarity here. What if?
What if technology companies were forced to disclose clearly what signing-up for their product entails with respect to user privacy. I am thinking of something alongside this:
""" Hello r0naa,
Welcome on Facebook, we hope that you will have a great experience here.
Facebook will allow you to: - easily communicate with your friends
- share photos, videos and play games with your friends
- keep in touch with distant relatives
On the other hand, we will:
- keep a record of the messages you send to your friends
- keep a permanent record of the photos you have shared on Facebook
- keep a log of all the websites you have visited that contain a "like" button.
Moreover, you should be aware that we will disclose all your personal data to the US government if we are issued a NS letter.
Hope you have a great day,
"""
To be clear, I am not saying that this is the right solution. Only, I believe it is pretty obvious that there is a problem and that a lot of people who are not technically literate are not able to make a informed choice about whether or not they want to give up their privacy, even partially.
I hope it will spawn an interesting discussion, feel free to share your ideas and suggestions.