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[–] Arotaes_Forgehammer 0 points 16 points (+16|-0) ago 

Because knowledge is power. They have power over you by knowing everything you do, and they like that.

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[–] Oire 0 points 6 points (+6|-0) ago 

So companies do it for user experience reasons. Figuring out what you do on their site/product/in general allows them to aggregate it and make their stuff moar better in theory. Information is power and such.

Governments want it for the same reason. If they know what porn you look at, know what your interests are, it is easier to understand/mitigate you if you become a problem in the future. Think of it as preemptive suppression. It even works if you know you're being spied on. Who wants to dissent when they think they'll lose from the beginning?

In short... money or power.

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[–] miistahmojo 0 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago 

We are in the information era and a big chunk of our current economy is based upon different forms of information collecting (spying).

Consider the fact that:

  • All social media collects and sells your information
  • All smartphones collect and sell your information
  • All smart tvs / media streaming devices collect and sell your information
  • All new operating systems will collect and sell your information (Windows 10)
  • All new cars will collect and sell your information
  • The "internet of things" will collect and sell your information
  • There's probably much more information collecting that we don't even know about.

These companies collect massive amounts of data about their users because the data has the potential to be valuable to them. Increasingly sophisticated algorithms are developed to mine information from the data and useful information translates into $$$.

TL:DR companies spy on you for the $$$

And the government? The government just spies because it cares. /s

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[–] Jutack 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

to sell you things

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[–] wuziwu ago 

no one is spying on you now put your shirt on and sit up.

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[–] Stealer ago 

A lot of them don't exactly care but by collecting data they might find a use for it later.

Better to have it and not need it than not have it and want it.

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[–] Tialah ago  (edited ago)

The govt.. They don't care until you become a problem for them. Then they dig up what they have on you and use it as they see fit.

Some companies scan through your email to play relevant ads, so if you have a bunch of emails talking about kids you might see a bunch of baby related products etc.

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[–] GOT ago  (edited ago)

For government, it is about gathering statistics and training algorithms. They want to know what normal is so that they can find the outliers and unusual people who could be the terrorists and bad people. So they aren't interested in you but they need your data.

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