Where is the "ads are just a way of telling people about things they might want" crowd? heh.

I can make that argument wholeheartedly, not even as a “steelman” when it comes to legitimate advertising but so much of it is criminal, morally if not legally —- and the victim is not just the viewer but also the advertiser which is running ads that are completely mistargeted, that damage their brand, or get fraudulent clicks —- I remember the layout of anandtech always shifting around so you would try to click on a link and just before you did an ad would slide under your finger and ka-Ching! Was it by accident or design.

On the other hand I’ve known people who sold ads for newspaper and radio and all of them had some sense of ethics.

They live in the pages of an economics textbook, blissfully untethered from reality.

Right behind the "regulatory agencies are asleep at the switch" crowd.

If you build /anything/ there will be people who dedicate time to learning how to abuse it for profit.

We don't live in Narnia.

An investment opportunity with guaranteed returns is something I would definitely want if it actually existed.