Buying used DVDs is now the best way to escape streaming surveillance

Streaming services have made watching movies almost frictionless. However, most people don’t think much about what they’re giving up for it. Every time you open Netflix or Hulu, you’re not just watching something; you’re being watched in return. The platform logs what you pause, what you skip, how long you hover over a thumbnail, and that data feeds into profiles that eventually get sold. If you’ve ever felt vaguely uneasy about how well an algorithm seems to know you, there’s a reason for that, and buying used DVDs with cash is one of the few remaining ways to actually opt out.