This is the case.

In every aspect of life in which personal data is indexed/transmitted, the point of origin at least is some place you've explicitly indicated approval of this process. IF you walk into walmart, you are granting them the ability to sell your facial data and card metadata to whoever.

No third party is calling your mobile provider to ask them to leak info. They are PAYING the mobile provider to leak them info that we provided express written consent for them to do so. TO avoid these ToS and binding agreements, you would need to live a disconnected agrarian lifestyle. Literally, can't walk into any corporate store.

yay!

And this is exactly the problem.

It used to be the case that you exchanged money for a good or service. It was a transaction of 1 thing for 1 thing.

Now you're exchanging your money AND personal information for goods or services (sometimes both mixed in a way that is optimized to get as much money out of you as possible). And because those providing goods or services all have the same incentives, you don't have a free choice to pay a competitor who doesn't use these business practices.

Freedom absolutists (such as ancaps) will claim you can always start a competitor. But that's just not true, these business practices are so advantageous that you either use them too or go out of business.

The real solution is for people to unite and demand change together. And that's what governments are for.