“Surveillance capitalism”, the term that Shoshana Zuboff coined, is a wonderful term. We could also call it “surveillance economy”, because nowadays much of our economy is based on surveillance in one way or another, whether we realize it or not.
What can be done? Before a drug is allowed to be sold in Canada, before a vehicle is allowed to be sold and licensed in Canada, and a lot of other products, they have to be tested by an independent Canadian authority to make sure they are fit for purpose and safe. I think the same thing has to apply to the technology we all use every day, which is now being sold by self-interested corporations. That all fosters the surveillance economy.
The only way of pulling back from having our information used continuously as fodder for surveillance.... Spin doctors say, “Well, everybody is okay with it because they keep giving their information”, despite the fact that we have very little option or no way of opting out. It's up to our government to regulate it, despite the objections of big tech.