I used to have a paid subscription with some IPTV service which is kinda popular in this region of the world. Of course I knew that with internet-based video streams, they could track what and when I watch, but I naively assumed they wouldn't really do much like that... I'm a paying customer already after all...?

At some point, I think it was after the last big football event, they sent a marketing email. In it they listed which games I had watched, with minute-accurate viewing time information. They probably thought it'd be a neat surprise which customers would enjoy reading. I was repelled to see they keep this information in such detail. The marketing e-mail had quite the opposite effect on me.

A while after this, I cancelled my subscription with them. I was happy with their service otherwise - but I paid them to watch things, not to be watched myself.

It's a weird constant feeling that no matter what I do on my computer or my phone that someone else knows what it is, is watching, recording, analyzing my activity. No stopping it now, but it takes away from the magic.

This is why I don't use 99% of online products. The thought of a chunk of my life becoming someone else's data just makes me feel icky. Last time I tried to go back to stock Android I lasted about a month before the convenience of Google Play Services and everything relying on it was outweighed by the creepy feeling that my phone was watching me.