My position is quite simple. My browser history is mine. I made it. If an ISP is going to sell it, then I deserve a portion of the proceeds.
I've had similar debates before and one thing that comes up is: it would only be fractions of a penny. When an ISP sells personal data they don't sell it person by person. They consolidate their data into blocks of hundreds of thousands of individuals and sell that. The data of one person isn't worth much at all (depends on the person I guess) but the data of one of these blocks is. So for me to claw out the value of just my data, may only be pennies and my cut of those pennies might not even be half.
However, I dislike the idea that I am just suppose to accept that someone else gets to sell the product of my work. It's like someone trying to sell the dust from your footsteps. If they're going to do it, I deserve a share of the money. I'm the one doing all the walking.
EDIT
I can be very stubborn. I wouldn't be here on the internet bitching about pennies if I were not a silly, bitter person. While my mind has not been changed, all the people participating have valid persuasive criticisms. In responding, many required me to think and re-think my position.
To just stop being an old man yelling at clouds is also compelling.
Thank you for the discussion.
The browsing history that they sell is not a personal one based on your computer. It is a collective block of information on the work that their routers do. They are not marking the information you have provided, but merely the actions that their routers are taking while providing that service to you.
In addition, they can just "pay you" by reducing their bill. Then can then also arbitrarily increase their bill by that amount, like they do every so often from inflation. A lack of competition means there is no reason for them to do anything else for you, price-wise.