The way you phrase that it sounds like these social media companies black mail you with dirty secrets they learn about you. I understand why people don't want to be packaged and sold, but a realistic view is that you're getting a service subsidized by all of this.
> The way you phrase that it sounds like these social media companies black mail you with dirty secrets they learn about you.
You may come up with the hyperboles you wish, but the truth of the matter is that a) these companies spy on their user base, b) they don't divulge or inform you about how they spy on you, c) they obviously do not defend you or have your best interests in mind, d) they don't even clarify what they do or intend to do with the data they gather on you nor ask for your informed consent about anything.
I don't care if Google convinces some company to pay them while Google provides a service to me without paying. Of course they're going to try and monetize it anyway they can. I don't think Walmart has my best interests either, so there is nothing special about social media companies. Nor do social media companies have a monopoly on "spying" on their users.
I recall reading a case study over a decade ago about how a dad learned his daughter was pregnant because Target was sending her ads to register for a baby because she was buying things people buy early in their pregnancy like pre-natal vitamins.
