This is interesting and all, but I can't help but come back to an underlying question: why are we so focused on what's going on rather than how to deal with it? I suppose talking about it is a step towards this, but I worry that we may lose sight of the ultimate goal. I read this article earlier today, arguing for a disease model for bad ideas (aka "someone discovered Snow Crash), but there's a good point here. Assuming these kinds of analytics actually work (which is far from proven), shouldn't we be more focused on how to inoculate ourselves?
The issue I see is the "weakness" of American privacy and data protection laws (and the lack of knowledge about international law that lawyers for firms like CA apparently have). American consumers have very little control over their data compared to other first world countries. Of course it can only be called a weakness if you view it from a consumer perspective. It is a potential boon for corporate operations.
I think you're right, particularly about where the priorities lie.