If you don't want photos online, don't take photos with a smartphone. Pretty sure digital cameras don't autoupload (at least the cheap ones I have had). That said, we have a signal and noise situation - if everyone's photos are online it becomes difficult to target any one person without a very good reason.
Most of the apps we use store data somewhere online and the privacy controls are often unclear or misleading.
Putting something online is as easy as grabbing a phone and taking a photo. Boom, it's online... somewhere.
We can't stop services like the one contest is about popping up, but the problems they cause are real.