I use an iPhone, although I have used Android many years ago (purely because of open source convictions), and I didn't know this. God, it's awful. I try very hard to use only paid apps on iOS even if there are free apps because I don't want to support the data-mining industry (not that paid apps can't participate in it, but at least I hope it's less likely).

Most apps cost less than a coffee, and personally I get more value out of the apps I use than from a cup of overpriced coffee.

install something like 3C, root your phone, disable all the analytics/ad-services from individual apps; also installing something like AdAway will block most ads via the Host file