But I am broadcasting identifiers everywhere I go. The oldest means of recognition in the world is my face, and I don't cover that up wherever I go. I've also got a recognizable smell[1], a recognizable gait[2], a recognizable voice[3], and doubtless many other things that can be used individually or in aggregate to identify me, and that's before we get to contact-based or invasive techniques involving fingerprints, iris recognition, or DNA tests.
Suggesting that people "need to take responsibility for themselves" is tantamount to victim blaming when it comes to broadcasting identities for gathering by third parties. The responsibility for correctly using data should really lie with those that collect the data, and that's what data protection acts in Europe tend to target.
[1] http://www.livescience.com/5188-odor-unique-fingerprint.html
[2] http://www.wired.com/2011/09/walking-biometric-identificatio...