There is nothing on this cold, moist rock that will stop companies from harvesting and selling your data other than the inevitable embrace of death.

Actual answer over circle-jerk speculation: To be legal in EU, they must offer one option without required (=forced) consent to tracking. When you pay, you can actually opt-out from any measure that require consent under GDPR.

All European publishers do this. They don't want your money and probably don't care much about the tiny minority that actually pays for freedom from tracking. This option exist to create the illusion of choice.

Hold your horses, they only said "ad free", "tracking free" is beyond the scope, making this essentially a double dip.

yes

Yes. They absolutely will.