Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you're framing it the wrong way. You should be asking: What's the benefit to the user (and advertisers too!) of all this tracking and data collection? Adtech often touts "relevant ads." But I think that's a red herring. I'm a fan of The Simpsons. That doesn't mean I want ads for Simpsons stuff following me from site to site. I'd probably get annoyed if I get Simpsons ads on a serious financial website. What's…
It’s a false dichotomy for me. I understand many people make money off it, but I just don’t want to see any ads. And I believe if a person needs something, they should be able to find it. But buying stuff because you see a banner? If the banner was the only reason you bought an item, maybe you didn’t need it in the first place.
Everyone knows what Coca-Cola is. But Coke still heavily advertises worldwide. It's not to make people thirsty when they see the ad. It's to make thirsty people think "Huh, a Coke would be quite nice right now" when they're at the store.