One reason this 'sad state' exists is because content providers (for example websites, apps, etc) need to generate revenue and the most prevalent method is adve

One reason this 'sad state' exists is because content providers (for example websites, apps, etc) need to generate revenue and the most prevalent method is advertising. Micropayments would go a long ways to shifting providers away from advertising and towards pay-per-use. Many users would not object to paying a fraction of cent for reading an article - especially if it would enable the provider to remove the tracking and invasion of privacy all in order to make a buck.