They shouldn't need it, but from their point of view why on earth wouldn't they sell their customers out at every opportunity if it means more money for them? Companies are amoral monsters who care about nothing but making money. If a company can do something that will make them more money you should expect them do it regardless of how ethical or legal it is.
But you should still use all of the anti-surveillance tech you can, lest the downward spiral continue. The methods are implemented gradually, with soft heuristics. The more customers they have without such vulnerabilities, the harder it is to justify turning the screws.
“Hiding within those mounds of data is knowledge that could change the life of a patient, or change the world.” (Atul Butte, Stanford)
"Information is the oil of the 21st century, and analytics is the combustion engine” (Peter Sondergaard, Senior Vice President, Gartner)
“Without big data analytics, companies are blind and deaf, wandering out onto the web like deer on a freeway.” (Geoffrey Moore, author and consultant)
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And the quotes go on and on...