[jqpabc123]

Privacy is an important and welcome discussion.

Only one point I would like to make --- advertising does not necessarily imply privacy invasion.

It is entirely possible to successfully do simple contextual advertising without a global tracking network and associated privacy invasion. Ask if you need examples. Eliminating all advertising may be throwing the baby out with the bath water so to speak.

A part of the fight against big tech is getting advertisers to understand that they are being exploited too. Personalized ads and "realtime ad auctions" pit advertisers against one another to drive the cost up to 3-4x more than simple contextual ads while being wide open to fraud from the ad networks themselves and others.

Do the results justify the added cost to advertisers? I have my doubts and I have yet to see solid evidence that shows it is.

[freediver]

There are close to billion devices with an ad-blocker today and chance is they would still continue to do so even if all ads magically became privacy-respecting (for example just 90s type banners). Thing is people really do not like or want ads on the web.

I agree that eliminating all advertising is not the goal, but moving to a world where I am advertised on an opt-in basis sounds like a much better proposition. Imagine reverse cookie notice windows, where I have to fill in a form with my interests to start getting ads.

[jqpabc123]

There are close to billion devices with an ad-blocker today and chance is they would still continue to do so even if all ads magically became privacy-respecting (for example just 90s type banners).

Most ad blockers don't affect simple 90s type banner ads.

I use an ad blocker. I still get contextual ads on duckduckgo.com based on my search keywords. Most ad blockers focus on links to known global, privacy invading ad networks. No link, no block.

I don't mind simple context based ads. What I object to; and what I think most people object to, are personalized ads driven by privacy invasion.

Ads without proper context are mostly just an annoyance anyway and the associated personal data collection is subject to abuse. The only reasonable approach for a consumer is to block this crap until advertisers stop throwing money at it.

[freediver]

> Most ad blockers don't affect simple 90s type banner ads.

They do? Or they are not "ad-blockers" really.

The reasons ad-blockers block ads:

1. Ads are using user's data bandwidth, slow down the page loading and distract user from content they are trying to read

2. Usually it's not a single ad, but we are talking 4-5 ads with placement optimized to maximize clickthrough, while negatively affecting the user experience of using the page.

The above reasons apply for all ads, including context based ads. It's ads that annoy people, regardless of their context. Tracking is what annoys them on top of the ads.

> I don't mind simple context based ads.

Would you mind context based ads on your phone as you turn it on?

How about context based ads inside your car?

How about context based ads inside your house?

The only scenario in which any kind of ads are acceptable is one in where the user opts-in to see them.