Care to clarify your trolling?
I've noticed this a lot on this forum specifically. Any time anyone says something even REMOTELY questioning the Droid or Google's motives regarding Android/Droid/etc, they get accused of trolling around here.
It's starting to look and feel a lot like an iPhone forum, except Apple/Steve Jobs has been replaced with Google, and the iPhone is now a Droid.
Disclaimer: I have a Droid, and it is without a doubt the best phone I have ever used or owned. I would personally recommend it over an iPhone any day of the week for most people. HOWEVER, I still fully respect other people's opinions on the subject, and their right to question Google and/or the Droid.
Sorry for taking this thread off topic.
Your statement simply isn't true. Yes, there are people who are accused of trolling, and as somebody else mentioned, the are easy to spot. How? By the way they "ask" a question. Look at the OP. This isn't even really a question so much as a statement (which is actually incorrect).
This person doesn't even actually have the phone. (Why JayMonster... how do you know that?) Because if they bought the phone... they now have a Google Account and Gmail account and have access to the market. You don't need to sync your contacts, but you DO need to have a Google Account, and when you buy the phone (at Verizon at least), if you do not have a Google Account they set one up for you.
So this is nothing more than somebody, who has no problem with iTunes sending information back to Apple, or that they snuck Safari and Mobile Me onto your computer (if you are a Windows owner and weren't paying attention), and I would almost bet that they probably even have a Mobile Me account (I said almost), but for some reason, to them, doing so is so egregious. Fine. Then don't buy the phone. Move on.
And for the OP. Is it legal? Of course it is legal. It is in the Terms of Service that to use this phone, you have to have a Google Account. You don't want the account, nobody is making you buy the phone, it is as simple as that. There is no trickery here, the terms are clear and up front.
For the rest of you... yes it is true that there is more in public record than some people imagine... that doesn't mean you shouldn't be concerned about your privacy. And please do not use the "if you are doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about" line, becuase... while yes, we all go to the bathroom, we don't need everybody watching it.
But on the other side of that coin. If you are going to try and function in today's society... you have to accept that there is going to be a certain amount of information "out there." If you are that worried about it, rip out the Ethernet Cable and stop going online... it is as easy as that... otherwise, there is information being gathered... whether you want it to or not.