Same goes for taxicabs versus Uber or Lyft. If I hail a cab on the street, specify a corner to be dropped off at and pay with cash, the driver doesn't know or care who I am or what my starting or destination addresses are. He's happy to get my fare and I'm happy to get where I'm going. In fact, he's probably happier to get his fare and tip in cash also, with less waiting and tax implications.
Cash rules.
And until recently, there was so much data out there that it still provided a reasonable facsimile of anonymity unless the government got really interested in you.
AI is about to be unleashed on all that data. Things could get quite interesting. In the "May you live in interesting times" kind-of way.