Most of us have clicked on some sort of agreement to use sites such as Facebook and Google and Amazon, and in doing so – usually unbeknownst to us – we've "clicked" away untold thousands of dollars.  Who knew that they'd log every click, follow us through cyberspace, mark our comings and goings, profile us – then sell the data?

It's now time for the companies to pay up.  And we all know they have the financial wherewithal to do so.  Our data "footprint" has been swindled from us. 

Look for the big tech firms to repent and promise to mend their ways.  Perhaps Congress, in exchange for campaign contributions,  will come to their rescue with oversight, fees, charges, compliance officers, and personnel – all a pittance compared to the simple conservative solution of paying us.  Congress should simply recognize our personal property rights to our digital "footprint."  Users would then have the right to "sell" this footprint.  I'd enjoy a monthly check from Google.  Big tech using our digital footprints is a little like an oil company drilling under our land, profiting from the oil, but not paying us accordingly.  Our digital footprint is a new type of property.

Conservatives, take note.