> What harm can I inflict to you, via targeted ads? Some. You can think of some creative ways to do so, but it's not a very effective way to inflict harm.
Do you see how people have weaponized social media through data? Google ads might not have been used in a nefarious way just yet but that's likely because it hasn't been thought of.
With ratings, on a scale of one to ten, how would you compare the individual harm of someone showing you a demographic-targeted ad[1], to someone having the real-time location data sufficient to start physically stalking you?
What about someone showing you an untargeted ad? Where would that fit in?
[1] Or, if you prefer, a remarketing ad, instead. I have very little patience for those.
The harm to me isn't the harm of someone showing me a demographic-targeted ad, the harm is someone showing everyone demographic-targeted ads designed to manipulate public opinion.
Remember how everyone got very hot and bothered about precisely this thing happening in a recent U.S. election?
Why are cookie-based demographic-targeting ads that manipulate public opinion bad, while demographic-targeting ads on television, in magazines, etc, are fine? Is it because more targeted ad spend is more efficient?
If your problem is that advertising is used to manipulate public opinion - consider - why do we even allow political campaigns and paid speech? Its only purpose is to manipulate public opinion, and to trick stupid voters into voting for bad people.
I'm afraid your position is not entirely ideologically consistent with how we determine what kind of political speech is allowed, and is not allowed.
Do you see how people have weaponized social media through data? Google ads might not have been used in a nefarious way just yet but that's likely because it hasn't been thought of.