Oh, you've really got to dig into this. Of course Google doesn't give away the crown jewels and sell Gerber Baby Food your name, address, etc. If they did, Google would soon be out of business because everyone would have your info. What Google does is say to the we can ensure your ad for a Gerber Baby food goes to someone who is pregnant and due within a certain period of time and lives in a certain zip code, and is researching what to feed a baby. And you can further customize the ad to have someone of the same race, etc. And Google knows this because they have scanned your emails and there's one you sent your mother telling her that you're pregnant and when you're expecting, and they have your photos so they know your race, etc., and they have all of your web searches, etc., all compiled into a massive dossier that grows ever larger.
You are right that you can slow Google down by not using its services, but that is very difficult as they have strategically purchased services that they interconnect behind the scenes and the terms of services you sign allow them to connect all your information and gives them a worldwide license to use the information. But good for you if you use an Android device and haven't signed up for a Gmail address, and you don't use Google Maps, Google Photos, Youtube, Google Search, Google Apps like Calendar, Docs, etc. If you don't use Google Assistant, Google Translate, Google Plus, Google Translate, etc. But, unfortunately, even that's not enough because you have to use a content blocker and ad blocker or even if you are using Safari, etc., Google will be installing multiple trackers on your computer to log every site you visit and everything you do on each site, again all without your knowledge or permission. (For example, I just briefly turned off Ghostery on this site and refreshed it to see that Google is installing Google Analytics, Google Tag, Ad Sense and several other trackers. They are truly like the Borg, wanting to absorb everything about everybody into their system.)
And no, Apple is nothing like Google. Their business models are exactly opposite. Apple sells you hardware and software and services as products. Google sells you as the product to advertisers. How do you think they have always given away their products? Because everyone of those products is a honey pot to get your personal information. Why do you think they bought Nest? They knew it was a money loser but it gets Google in your home. They were desperate to get a Google Assistant device in your home so they can condition you to trust telling them everything and get used to having them listening. Why does Google give you so much free cloud storage? Because you give them and their partners a worldwide license to use whatever you upload. That includes your family's photos. Apple has a great photos but they make money by you buying their camera, not selling the information in your photos. That's why Apple does the indexing of your photos on your phone, not in the cloud.
Think if you were the East German Stasi, or the Soviet Secret Police, could you imagine anything better than Google?
