Sure, but all of the examples you give are of bad actors trying to influence the opinion of the general public. In 2018, the same bad actors are using private

Sure, but all of the examples you give are of bad actors trying to influence the opinion of the general public. In 2018, the same bad actors are using private information to change the opinions of fragments of individuals in certain electorates, who each share a certain set of beliefs/biases. The difference is huge. Why? Because when propaganda is crafted from the unique kinks of an individual and then secretly projected back at them with button-pushing messaging, it forgoes any chance of call-out from public scrutiny.