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Unless every service we use becomes non-free, I think it is not lobbying, but very reasonable. The opt-out option is a necessity, but the average user doesn't give two cents about that.
> The opt-out option is a necessity, but the average user doesn't give two cents about that.

So you think it should be opt-in by default?

Most reasonable people would, but I doubt many of the people on this site who directly benefit from the current lack of privacy protections will.
Digital capital is still capital, if it's gonna be regulated as such, it needs to be made as clear as a credit card bill to consumers when their digital capital is bought or sold.
I am pedantic and want everyone in every discussion to agree about the definitions of the words they use.

"Lobbying" is defined as seeking to influence a politician or public official on an issue.

Lobbying can be (and often is) an extremely reasonable thing to do. It is one of the main ways that public officials become fully educated about the various sides of issues that concern their constituencies.

If you, as a private citizen, seek a meeting with your congressman to express your opinion about some policy or complain about some state of affairs in your district, you're lobbying. And you need to if you want them to be aware of your opinion or your plight.

A lobbyist is simply a person who make a profession of lobbying (usually on behalf of others). They exist, in part, to educate legislators about the ins and outs of policy decisions that require significant research, data gathering, technical expertise, or complex reasoning. A senator cannot make every decision, or even have an opinion on every issue without the help of private citizens or organizations who have a more extensive background in the particular domain at hand.

So you should probably say something like "Unless every service we use becomes non-free, lobbying is a very reasonable thing to do."

I honestly thank you for that explanation. English being my third language I admit I had a bit of a confusion when that term was used.
Protect the citizen, from all treats to their safety domestic and abroad, full stop. Money is no excuse to be feeble of mind and moral.
I would rather see legislation prohibiting businesses from engaging in mass mailings through the USPS and filling up everyone's mailboxes with rubbish every day.