Why won't an internet Terms of Service work?

People won't read it.
Let me explain...

First off, you may notice that I'm posting under my real name. My real drivers licence, passport, etc... name. The same name tied to Facebook, G+ and all. Why? because I believe that people need to take responsibility for the content that they put online. Too much of the web culture has grown up around anonymity, and its causing problems, especially in regards to what people think is their private property.

People tend to have the belief that when an agency pulls your data, it's equivalent to them 'breaking and entering' or an 'illegal search' on your property. But this is so far from true. If you want a truly private spot for your digital info, fine, put a computer in your living room and pop the ethernet cable out.

Bang. Done. Good luck to the guys in Langley trying to get to your stuff.

But, if your putting your information on the internet you are putting yourself in a public forum. Whether Facebook, or Blogger, or some software you bought; you don't own Facebook, nor do you own your Facebook page, nor do you own the software you bought, you are licensing it for use. This is one of the things that the Terms of Service (ToS) on a product tell you. But luckily for the companies that provide said services, no one reads the ToS.

If you look closely, most of the time these ToS tell you what exactly the company can do with your data. Your personal information is a form of online currency. Think about it: how do you get all of these 'free' online services like Google for example? You are paying with your personal information. They give you free email, cloud storage, etc.. and in return you give them your information to sell to marketing companies, personalize ads, and any other way they can make money. The government is getting your information the same way every ad agency in New York is getting it. You are giving it to them.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this, in fact (if you can't already tell) I'm a big proponent of the system. I get lots of great free services that simplify and make my life easier, and in return all I have to give out is info about me. Hey, I even get advertising that I'm interested in, like upcoming Xbox games, instead of having to watch ads for diapers and beauty products scroll by my screen.

I don't, however, think that a universal internet ToS is the answer. What we need is users who understand that their actions on the internet have repercussions just like real life, and who take responsibility for those actions. Would a great, all-encompassing, ToS make that happen? maybe, but I don't think it's a viable answer. Companies, corporations, and even people need to explain in plain and transparent terms, just what you are paying for these services; that your privacy is a form of currency.

For people to stop freaking out, and for us to resolve this 'privacy crisis', the general public needs to be made to understand this, not just be made aware of it. This needs to be done on an individual level, not just as a blanket 'Welcome to the internet, here are the Terms and Conditions'.

Why?

Because people won't read that either.