Truth be told, I have similar feelings about ads. Several times, I have benefitted from ads on Facebook and Google, rendering several times their investments.

Truth be told, I have similar feelings about ads. Several times, I have benefitted from ads on Facebook and Google, rendering several times their investments. For example, there was this one time when I had come across an ad on Facebook for a competition that I had found interesting. I applied, got selected, and eventually won a fully sponsored trip to NYC (worth about $4000). Now, would I want my data to be leaked *outside* FB/Google datacenters out into the public? No. Would I want to be constantly interrupted while I am watching a video? No. But would I want ads that benefit me and help me? Yes, sign me up. Also, regarding tracking, I believe tracking should be entirely optional (by law). Tracking certainly helps understand user preferences, and I personally always leave them on, because I want to help developers improve my experience. However, I do understand people wanting to turn them off, particularly on suspicious sites.