Paranoia < > people believe anything.
A little paranoia is healthy in our connected age.
...and it's only Paranoia if they are not actually out to get you.
I think it is safe to suspect almost every piece of software, every integrated device, and ever app is trying to vacuum up as much information about you as they possibly can, so that the developer can sell it to the highest bidder via data brokers.
That's how the economy works now.
Venture Capitalists will literally reject business plans if they don't adequately cover how they are going to maximize the monetization of user data. If you have a new business idea that in any way involves tech, you simply aren't getting to market unless you vacuum up as much user data you can and sell it. Doing this is not the exception. It is the norm to such an extent that
NOT doing so is a rare exception.
So it's not a question of if anymore. Just about 100% of all products (except maybe the open source stuff) is vacuuming up data bout you. The distinction is more how they intend to use it. And I say "intend" because no matter what the intent, once data is collected it becomes a target for misuse, simply because it is valuable. Even if we believe the Googles and Meta's of the world are not lying to us, and simply use the data for anonymous targeting of ads, the very fact that they have the data means that it is a target for misues, both internally and externally to their organization. Anyone remember Facebooks issue with games/apps successfully datamining users?
We are literally living the dystopian no-privacy future right now, but most people just simply refuse to believe it, because the products that are spying on them are "convenient" and they don't want to believe they are harmful.
IMHO, anyone who has worked on, originated or enabled the collection and use of user data and normalization thereof needs to be lined up against the wall when the revolution comes.
