Yeah I agree, these settings should be disabled by default and require explicit opt-in. That said, I am impressed by how privacy/security-conscious the OS seems to be otherwise!
You can't really get rid of connectivity check, because it is a part of public API. Applications use it to check whether a network has internet access. Android itself uses it to detect captive portals and prompt user to authenticate when network requires authentication/payment via a web page.
I'm not suggesting they get rid of connectivity check. They already provide the option to disable it. All I'm suggesting is that it's not enabled until the user indicates they want it to be. This could be asked during a "first time" setup flow like most smartphones have.
