I'm looking at another regulatory issue, and would suggest:
- File specific complaints with manufacturers, and copy your local (state) and national legisltors, as well as consumer-interest office (usually state's attorney general office, as well as the DoJ, FTC (trade) and FCC (communications).
- Look up U.S. regulatory agencies (FTC, FCC, DoJ (anti-trust)), as well as U.S. Congressional committees for hearings on the issue. Familiarise yourself with any present state of discussion, and identify what elements you think are missing or weak among those.
- Look for both the witnesses and the regulators and legislators speaking about the issue, as well as what they have to say.
- Witnesses typically represent either industry (typically opposed to your interests) and citizens (usually mis-named "consumers"). Look especially for groups representing privacy interests (EFF, ACLU, EPIC), or senior interests. Consumers Union is another likely ally. Contact the entities you think might be able to help most directly. You're not looking to change the minds of industry groups (though you might ask them for specific information on what their goals and initiatives are, so that you can help sabotage those, of course), but rather to find groups already on your side.
- It's possible that creators (studios, producers, actors, screenwriters) might also have interests here, though it's difficult to say how those align.
- A huge factor in all of this is how broadcast and streaming content are monetised. The classic mechanisms have been general advertising (traditional over-the-air), targeted advertising (common online, of course, but also often with cable providers, at startlingly high levels of specificity), subscription (cable, but also streaming and other services: Netflix, HBO, YouTube, Hulu, etc.), membership and public support (public broadcasters, with varying models in the US and elsewhere). Providing viable alternatives to ad-supported media seems to me one key leg of change.
- Privacy protections would be another approach. The U.S. has no general privacy law, and it seems unlikely for one to pass on any near- or medium-term future. I'd specifically look at penalties for the transfer or sale of information, as the collection itself might be difficult to stop for various reasons. Taking the commercial value out of an activity is an excellent way to stop it.
- If you want to step it up a level, organising locally, with talks at libraries, local groups (schools, churches / temples, service organisations, clubs, senior centers, etc.) can help collect voices, and make you a more formidable force. Libraries will typically offer free meeting space to any group of three or more.
I'm not a fan of individual initiative as a systemic solution, and authors such as Giblin and Doctorow (Chokepoint Capitalism) explain in detail why that's a very limited approach, and what can be done instead.
Still, there are personal accommodation options you might consider:
- Buying and renting physical media remains an option. If you're principally watching for entertainment, consider this. Public libraries often have large video collections.
- Piracy is another option, and is one way of sending a market signal. Ironically, most pirate services offer a far better privacy proposition than "legitimate" content providers.
- There is a tremendous amount of non-broadcast / nontraditional media available. This includes audiobooks, both commercial and noncommercial services. The Internet Archive, Librevox, and (if a qualifying household) the Library of Congress's BARD service for the blind have extensive sets of works and periodicals in audio format. Podcasts are another option.
- Using a non-television display option (computer monitor, projector, etc.) is another option. These might include over-the-air cards or cable adaptors, or be used with other streaming or archival services or options.
- Return any devices with conditions you will not agree to as unsuited for purpose as initially purchased.
My own approach has been to not own a television, which I've successfully managed personally for over five decades.