It's that they bought a particular iot hardware package from some company like Yardi or Realpage for half a million, installed that in every apartment, and since they're using the management software from those same companies they have little ability (or frankly, desire) to exempt the one jackass who demands that from that lease clause, when they don't even know how to turn off the facial recognition for the one customer.
You talk as if it's part of some sinister plan, when it's really someone making $19/hr at the front office who is bad at the software that their business uses to manage said business. Besides, everyone complains when they have to dig their phone out of their pocket every time they want to open up a gate or door to the building, when it could just unlock itself when it sees them coming (it's not as if there are going to be many apartment buildings relying on brass keys here in 10 years).
This is apathy, trends, and convenience. Nothing more.