I get hung up on the fact, though, that the data was personal to start with. You said over and over again that it's okay because you de-identify it and consent doesn't matter at that point, but you still had to get that personal data in the first place.
We've heard about the social good of programs like this, but what about the ethical good of society and of your subscribers, when you're clearly taking personal data without clear consent, even though it's being de-identified?
You said yourself that you need consent for personal data, but you didn't pursue it. Why?