What are you trying to say, that it's impossible to define anything legally without edge cases?? That's bullocks.

> If I pay someone to print flyers is that advertising?

What the hell, we're talking about internet... you can't put printed flyers on the internet.

> If I pay squarespace for my site, is that advertising?

No. It's your site, not a third-party site promoting your site!

> What if I need a Google maps subscription to place pins? Is placing a pin then advertising?

If you promote it somehow, yes... if you just say there's a business there, no, since you're not actively promoting it. Information that something exists by itself cannot be included in "promotion".

> And all existing videos with sponsorship need yo be removed?

Yes, or re-uploaded without the sponsor segment.

> And I guess no online watching of sports (lots of people paid to wear a logo there...)

There could be exceptions for ads placed on the real world which are not paid for by the site/creator. There's always cases that must be allowed, no prohibition is absolute.

> Presumably no product placement in Netflix shows (not sure what to do with old content?)

To be honest, I wouldn't mind subtle product placements in shows. That's a lot less hostile than actual ads we see today on the Internet.

> Of course I'm not paid to advertise MiraclePill.

If you lie that you're not paid by someone while you are, like with any law, you can be prosecuted for it.

> Alas, I fear it isn't...

You didn't show what you think you did.

>> And all existing videos with sponsorship need yo be removed?

> Yes, or re-uploaded without the sponsor segment

I hope not. For one that would hit retroactively, but also it would cause a huge loss of valuable content from platforms like YouTube as countless videos with sponsor segments are actually interesting and simply too much to reupload, if the uploader is even active still.